The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
by RedneckAngel
Summary: Bella and Edward in a sleepy town in Alabama. All human. Bella is a 19 year old girl who has not had the ambition to go to college. She jumps straight into work at a hotel and loves her job…most days. Then in walks the man of her dreams, what will she do? ON HIATUS
1. Such Is Life

The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

(What It Feels Like…For A Girl)

**AN and disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You. Twilight is the masterful work of Ms. Meyers and TDWRY is the amazing song from Madonna. I'm just borrowing the ideas for my own sick, twisted entertainment.**

**This is just a preview of the story so that it may be easier to make the decision for which one I'm going to do. The others are right around the corner…I'm trying really hard to make a ffic worth reading. The pairings will be the same in each story, (unless I end up writing all 3 of these in time) classic Ed/Be, Jas/Jam, Em/Es, and Al/Ro. Carlisle will be in the stories as well, but it's going to be a special situation with him. You will see and hopefully you will like the pairings. These stories are going to be a lot of fun to write. All of my stories are **_**MATURE**_** and should not be read by anyone who is offended by cursing, sex and/or random homosexuality. If you are, please read no further. If you're not, welcome to my fucked up Twilight world!! Enjoy your stay. **

**The song that inspired this story:**

The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

Madonna

_(Verse 1)_

_As quiet as it is tonight_

_You'd almost think you were saved_

_Your eyes are full of surprises_

_They cannot predict my fate_

_Waiting underneath the stars_

_There's something you should know_

_The angels they surround my heart_

_Telling me to let you go_

_(Pre-Chorus)_

_I bet he couldn't, I bet he couldn't recognize_

_But I played right into it_

_Who am I to criticize_

_Somehow I get the way that you won't even realize_

_You're falling for your own disguise_

_(Chorus)_

_It's like over and over_

_You're pushing me right down to the floor_

_I should just walk away_

_Over and over_

_I keep on coming back for more_

_I play into your fantasies_

_Now that it's over you can lie to me right through your smile_

_I've seen behind your eyes_

_Now I'm sober_

_The more intoxicated my mind_

_Even the devil wouldn't recognize you_

_I do, even the devil wouldn't recognize you_

_I do, even the devil wouldn't recognize you_

_I do, even the devil wouldn't recognize you_

_I do, I do, I do_

_(Verse 2)_

_You almost fooled yourself this time_

_All the saints be praised_

_You hide the sadness behind your smile_

_And you keep your lost heartbreaks_

_The steps that edge along the ledge_

_Is much higher than it seems_

_But I've been on that ledge before_

_You can't hide yourself from me_

_Pre-Chorus_

_Chorus_

_Chorus_

Chapter 1 – Such Is Life

_Ring, ring, ring…_

"Thank you for calling the Hampton Inn in Wetumpka, this is Bella, how may I help you?" I answered the phone cordially as I had for the past 2 years.

"I need reservations please," came the gruff voice on the other end.

"Okay, for which night sir?" I asked, clicking on the reservation button. "For August 13th." He replied, still sounding irritated.

"Okay, I'm showing that we have either a smoking room with 2 king sized beds at the rate of $134 plus tax or our 3 room king suite nonsmoking for the rate of $169 plus tax." I gave him the only two options that we had available, hoping that he would just get on with the impending hissy fit that I came to expect from people like him.

"Can't you just give me the suite for the price of the smoking room?" he asked, sounding ever more pissed off. I can't honestly say that my temper wasn't starting to flare at that point in time. "No sir, that is against our policy, we only have what we have…if you'd like, I can book you in either room, but the rate is what it is. I'm sorry."

…

"Sir? Are you still there?" I asked politely. I knew from how he sounded at the beginning of this reservation that he was gonna give me hell.

"Of course I'm still here!" came his testy response. "But I'm a Gold VIP! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" His voice was starting to rise and I was just tempted to hang the God forsaken phone up right then.

"Of course it means something to us, sir, but as you are well aware; the upgrade policy is that if you want the suite for the other rate, you have to book the double king and take the chance of the suite **not** being available for upgrade when you arrive. _If_ we have the suite available when you check in, we will be more than happy to upgrade you then, but only at checkin, if it's available." I was getting damn sick and tired of dealing with these jackasses thinking that I'd put my job on the line just for the sake of them getting a fucking upgrade.

"No. You. Don't. Understand." He spoke to me as if I was mentally incompetent. That was the straw that broke my back, "No sir, apparently, _you_ don't understand. The policy is what it is, and I cannot change it. I don't have the authorization to break policy for _anyone_ and I'm only able to do what my computer lets me do. I'm very sorry if this is causing you an inconvenience, but I am completely unable to do that."

I was trying my damnedest to be cordial to this man, but he was making it right fucking impossible. I waited impatiently for his reply; thankfully I didn't have to wait long. "Well, we will just see about that. I'm going to call your corporate office and see if _they_ are able to accommodate a _Gold VIP_." He spat out, pissing me off further. "Well, you do that sir, and have a pleasant evening."

I slammed the phone down back down in its cradle, shaking visibly in anger as I went around the corner to grab a quick sip of something to drink to hopefully calm myself down before my next checkin arrived.

"Another pissy person, Bella?" Alice chimed in from her perch on one of our back office chairs. She was in the middle of eating her dinner. Alice was my best friend, but sometimes her endless enthusiasm just ticked me off.

"Of course. Another _Gold_ member wanting in on the 13th. He didn't like the fucking options I gave him. He fucking acted like I purposely was being a bitch by being almost sold out! The nerve of some of these fuckers! It just astounds me to what level these dickheads stoop to when they are trying to get around the upgrade policy." I slammed down my palms on the counter in the back, wincing slightly as my hands began to burn from the contact with the counter.

"Um, Bella…would you like me to watch the desk for a little while so that you can go smoke?" Alice stood up, straightening her uniform shirt. I met her eyes pleadingly, "Oh, would you?! That would be awesome! Thanks Ali!" I bounced over to her and gave her a few quick kisses on her cheeks. She rolled her eyes and went around the corner as we saw in the monitors that someone had just come in the front door.

I rifled through my purse until I found my cigarettes and lighter then ran out of the office. I braced myself as I hit the back door; it had been a really _hot_ summer so far and today was one of the most unrelenting days I'd encountered so far. _Without_ the heat index, the temperature was a staggering 103. I think the heat index took it up to something along the lines of 112. Fuck. Alabama in the summertime is ridiculous.

I own this horrible red truck that has no air conditioning. What in the hell was I thinking? Oh yeah, it was a free truck. My father bought it for me when I lost my mind and moved from Forks Washington to move to a place with more sun. He thought it would be appropriate to buy me a faded, rusted red pickup truck. How much more clichéd could I get? I'm living in a small town in Alabama and I drive a redneck pickup truck. Holy hell.

I opened my pack and grabbed out a cigarette hastily putting it in my lips. I flicked open my lighter and lit the end, breathing in deeply, feeling the smoke fill my lungs and instantly calming my nerves. I smoked that cigarette in what felt like record time, feeling almost like I had not smoked the first one.

I checked my watch. Dammit! I'd been out here for ten minutes; no doubt Alice would kick my ass for abandoning her for so long. I know that I'd be pissed if it were me. Plus, we had Mr. Masen coming in tonight.

I wondered silently as I walked back into my nightmare what his flavor would be tonight. For the past year, Mr. Masen has come in three days a week. Normally, I'd think that he was a business man, but if anyone only saw the women he brought with him, they'd know that it is nothing remotely like business that brings him here. He has never brought the same girl in twice, but one had made it into the papers.

Her name is Jessica Stanley, er, I mean was. Two days after she came in with Mr. Masen, she committed suicide. She came in, rented the same room that they had been in that night together. Lord, how our housekeepers raised almighty hell that she had gotten blood everywhere. We ended up having to hire a company called Aftermath; they specialize in crime scene cleanup. They got the blood out of everything. My manager Carlisle was pissed, we had to put that room out of order for a week. I talked to Carlisle about banning Mr. Masen from the hotel because he was undoubtedly the cause of her suicide. Carlisle wanted no such thing. Mr. Masen was one of our top guests; he never complained, never left the room a mess, and he poured thousands of dollars into our hotel so far.

I swear, money makes people stupid. We had a girl take her own life in a room and I can't refuse to check in the reason because he's filthy rich. What the hell kind of world do we live in? I sighed at the unfairness of the situation and keyed in my code for the lock on the office door. We each had our own security code. Once for clocking in, one for clocking out, one to get into the office, one to make keys and so on.

Alice was waiting patiently at the desk for me, checking her immaculate manicure. That's one thing I learned quickly about this type of job, we had to look perfect at **all** times. Perfect makeup, perfect nails, and perfect uniforms. Yuck. The only thing that I can honestly say about all of that is at least anything bought for the hotel's benefit was tax deductible. I was able to write off well over three thousand dollars worth of acrylic nails, hair products, shoes, socks and other unmentionables.

"Have a good break, dear?" Alice asked as she looked up from her nails. "I'm sorry Ali, time got away from me. I was wondering what flavor it would be tonight." I apologized smirking.

She rolled her eyes and smirked back at me, "I bet she's going to be a leggy blond that's dressed like a streetwalker." "What are we betting?" I asked, raising one eyebrow. "Loser has to buy lunch tomorrow." I felt an easy victory, "You're on. I'm thinking a redhead that is dressed tastefully tacky."

Alice looked at me with knowing eyes and said, "Okay, we will see."

A few hours, several checkins, and countless reservations later, we heard the door open. I was currently checking my email. I was really irritated, Jacob was emailing me again.

Jacob was a childhood friend in Forks. We had dated a few times; he was too intense for me as a boyfriend. He _had_ to know exactly where I was going, who I was going to be with and what time I was planning on coming home. He would go berserk if I gave him any shit; a few times I had snapped at him about the interrogations that he would put me through and he had quickly put me in what he thought was my place. I had suffered many bruises, blood loss and even a few broken bones during the time we were together. I had lied to everyone about what had happened, especially my father. He was friends with Jacob's father Billy. Charlie would have gone apeshit if he had known that all the times he tsked at me for being so clumsy it was really the guy that he had pushed me into dating that had put me into the hospital on so many occasions. I'm certain that Charlie would have shot him. That wouldn't have done anyone any good.

When I was 17, I graduated high school and told Charlie that I couldn't take any more of the rain and I was moving south to the sun. He was so sad; he thought that there was more that he could have done to keep me there. Truthfully, Jake had just proposed to me and there was no way in hell that I was going to tie myself to that asshole for the rest of my life. When I told him that I'd have to think about it, he took his leather belt to my neck. When I regained consciousness, Charlie and Jake were leaning over me screaming for me to wake up. Jake had told Charlie that someone had attacked me, but he didn't get a good look at the guy. I never made it to the hospital that night. I stayed locked up in my room, doing research on the southern states all night long. Two days later, I was driving to my sweet home Alabama. The blue skies had been selling point for me.

I immediately came to the hotel to stay and found out that two of their desk clerks had just been taken by another company that used to do business at the hotel. I was hired on the spot and started the next day. I moved in with Alice and her girlfriend Rosalie. Alice had taken care of me those first few weeks, disguising the bruising around my neck with scarves and makeup. Rosalie immediately took to me too. She became the overprotective big sister I had never had. It took Alice threatening to leave her to get her to abandon her plans to take a quick trip to Forks and de-ball Jake with her sharp, blood-red fingernails.

I looked up from my email, still frowning at the situation with Jake and was face to face with the man that walked straight out of my wettest dreams. Mr. Masen. He was dressed in a button down dress shirt that was tucked into his slacks. Both the shirt and the slacks were form fitting, putting his defined muscles nicely on display. Upon finishing my inspection of his body, my eyes flitted to his emerald green eyes which were only about a foot and a half from mine.

SHIT!! When had he approached my computer? I continued to gawk at him openmouthed for only a few seconds longer when Alice kicked my leg and I pulled back the last shred of dignity that I had. His mouth was turned up into a sexy smirk and his eyes were crinkled at the corners from years of smiling.

God. I loved this man.

"Hello, Mr. Masen. How are you doing this evening?" I greeted him warmly. His smile got even wider and he leaned closer to me. My heart took to racing as he motioned to me with his finger to come closer. I leaned in as close as I dared without having to worry about molesting him over the counter. "Yes?" I asked him, my unsteady voice husky. "Bella, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Edward? Mr. Masen is my father. I'm Edward."

I leaned back a bit embarrassed. "And how many times do I need to tell you that I am unable to call you Edward? I value my job and cannot afford to get fired for fraternizing with the guests." I smiled apologetically at him.

From somewhere beside him, there came a huff of impatience. I finally noticed that he had indeed brought a woman in with him today, just like any other. I looked her over, dammit. Alice was right. Again.

She had to have been not a day older than 18 and had long blond hair and legs that went on for miles. Fuck!! I pondered where Ali was going to make me take her for lunch tomorrow.

I was quickly brought out of my thoughts by Mr. Masen waving his perfect fingers in front of my face. He was so close that I could smell his cologne. He was wearing some kind of Burberry. God, he smelled as good as he looked.

I cleared my throat quickly and held out my hand for his credit card. "I just need your method of payment, please." He took my hand and kissed the top of it, "I thought it was free today?"

As he spoke to me, he looked deep in my eyes, lulling me into a fog, "Um, okay…uh, I mean, sorry, that was yesterday. Haha." I tried to shake off the stupor that he had my brain stunned into. "Okay, fine," he said with a mock pout and dug for his wallet to get me his card. "Here it is." "Uh, thanks, I'll give it right back." I said trying to make it sound like I wasn't about to have a giggle fit. "If you want, you can keep it for a few days, I've got extras." He said, the lopsided smirk back in place on his face.

Jesus! He was sooooo beautiful!

"No, thank you." I said blushing fiercely, "There's no way you want me to keep it. I live with Alice and she has a shopping problem. No doubt she'd find it and go stupid at the nearest mall." I winked at Alice who was glaring at me. "I don't have a _problem_. I have no idea why you have such an issue with me spending _my_ hard earned money however I want." Alice said sticking her tongue out at me.

I quickly swiped the card because the blond was now shooting daggers at me. Handing the card back with one hand, I clicked all the necessary buttons for his registration card to print and started to hand him the keys for his room. "Do you need me to explain how to get to your room?" I asked playfully, knowing damn well that he knew damn well where the room was. He leaned to me again and winked. _He just fucking winked at me!_ "Don't explain it to me, **show** me where it is. I need an escort and I'd feel safer if it were you; Alice might hit me over the head and steal all of my cards." He took his keys and signed the paper, laughing at his joke.

The bleached blond next to him didn't find his humor amusing; she was shifting from high heeled foot to high heeled foot. "Come on baby, I want to go! I'm horney!" she all but screamed in the middle of the lobby. I blushed furiously at her public display. Even Mr. Masen was taken aback. The color stained his cheeks and his face was abruptly livid. "Pardon me ladies," he said to me and Alice, all the while grabbing the blond by her bicep and dragging her around the corner.

Hell, when that man was pissed, it was almost as scary as when Jake would get into his asshole moods. You could hear him the whole way at the front desk: "You listen to me, bitch…_you_ are not paying for anything. You are here because _I_ wanted you to be here. If you don't cool your fucking heels, I will send your ass back home in a cab that I will not pay for." She was indignant, "Then what are you gonna do then _baby_? You gonna stay down here and talk to _her _all night? You'd be mighty bored without me tonight." He growled at her, "Excuse me, but whores like you are a dime a dozen. I actually would prefer _her_ company tonight versus yours. Get out. Call yourself a cab. We're done here."

He strode powerfully back to the desk and grinned at me. "So, my…uh…plans fell through for this evening. What are _you_ doing this evening after you get off from here?"

I opened my mouth to answer him when the blond woman flew back around the corner and stuck her finger in his face, "Damn it, _Edward_, you are **not** going to just toss me to the side for this piece of trash. Just let's go to the room and talk about it. I'll make you forget all about this stupid cow." She sneered the last part of her tirade directly at me. I so badly wanted to jump over the counter and just give her a good old country ass whooping.

By mere threads, I held onto my composure. I picked up the phone and called down to the security office, "Emmett, I need you down here immediately. We have a problematic guest in the lobby that needs to be removed lest I put her in her place." On the other end of the phone, Emmett bellowed his booming laugh. "I'll be right there, Bella. _Please_ hold your temper until I get there." Before I could respond to him, the line went dead in my ear. I counted to thirty before I heard a door bang open and Emmett came barreling into the lobby.

He looked Mr. Masen up and down, his hand twitching toward his gun. "Is there a problem, man?" Emmett asked him, leaning menacingly at him. "Wrong guest, Em." I interceded before Emmett could run him off. He turned his sights on the blond, "Oh, _her_? This is going to be too easy. Miss, I'm going to need you to come with me. You are being trespassed off of this property. If for _any_ reason you step one fake Jimmy Choo on this land again, you **will** go to jail." She leaned back and hocked a huge spit wad at his face, "I know my rights moron, to trespass me, there has to be a cop here." She began struggling with Emmett as he wiped his face and removed his badge from his pocket. "Lucky for us, I am a _cop_. Now, not only are you being trespassed, you are going to jail for assault of an officer."

I stood rooted to the carpet in my heels. I couldn't say a word; I was petrified. I had never known _any_ of our guests to go to jail. (And I've seen some really fucked up shit in my 2 years here.) "Alice, call Carlisle, he needs to know what's going on before he hears it on the police scanner." She didn't even respond, she went straight away to the side phone and dialed Carlisle's cell phone. I tried really hard to listen to what she was saying, but I felt the earth shift slightly.

I braced my hands on the desk and took a few steadying breaths, then a few more to purify myself of the anger that had been coursing through my body since I heard her call me a cow. I looked up to see where Emmett had taken her to, but they were both nowhere in sight. I sighed quietly and noticed that Mr. Masen was still standing there looking at me, running a hand through his copper locks.

I met his eyes before I started shaking, the anger coursing through me anew. How _dare_ that bitch call me a cow!!! I would kick her ass now if she were still standing here. Like I expected, I felt the hot tears course down my cheeks. Alice picked that precise moment in time to get off the phone. She came over to me, and rubbed a soothing circle on my back. Edward met my eyes again and his face lit up in alarm. Running to the front desk he said, "Don't worry about her Bella, she's gone. She won't hurt you. I promise she won't lay a hand on you!"

I looked at him strangely for a moment before what he said actually made sense to me. I burst out laughing. "Ha-ha! You think I'm afraid?" I shook with more laughter as more tears fell from my eyes. "You are the most extraordinarily ridiculous man I've ever met! HA-HA!!" I had to bend over, placing my hands on my knees so that I could breathe because I was laughing so hard.

Mr. Masen snapped his attention to Alice's knowing face like he was worried about my sanity. I bet my hysterics were the cause of that. That made me laugh harder. At the worst, I found myself snorting like a pig. That is when Alice finally gave up on getting me under control and handed me the pack of cigarettes and shoved me towards the door telling Mr. Masen that I'd be back after I get my daily dose of nicotine.

As I walked out the office door, still chortling like a maniac, I was face to face with a very worried pair of emerald eyes. I looked at him questioningly and cocked my head to the side. "Do you think that I'd allow you to go outside alone? It's my fault that you feel like you need a cigarette anyways, it's the least that I can do."

I smiled at him and walked to the door to the back parking lot where they had a designated smoking area for the employees. He followed me and sat beside me on the bench. "Seriously, you don't need to be frightened of Gabby. She won't mess with you. I will make sure of that." He said looking deep into my eyes, trying to convey his dedication to keeping me safe, oh, if he only knew. I snorted again, laughing my ass off. When I finally caught my breath again, I looked back at him and said simply, "Mr. Masen, I'm _not_ afraid of her. I'm afraid for her. If I see her skanky ass out on the street, I won't be able to help but kick her ass. No one calls me a cow and gets away with it. When I moved down here, I enrolled in some self defense classes; I'm pretty sure that no one would recognize her when I got through with her."

My anger was tangible as I said this. He looked at me for a moment then asked, "Why then were you crying?" "Oh, that." I replied, "If I get mad enough, I cry. If I get to the point of tears, I'm roughly about 2 minutes from blacking out. The last time I blacked out, I kicked the shit out of Emmett. That's why he was so quick to get her away from me."

He sat back on the bench and thought over what I had said and then leaned closer to me. My breathing quickened and my face started blushing. "Why on earth did you enroll in a self defense class when you moved to _Alabama_? You do understand that nothing much goes on here, right?" He asked the humor back on his face.

"Well, Mr. Masen, that's a long story. My last serious boyfriend put me in the hospital several times. Suffice to say, he didn't like a girl who talked back to him. I never defended myself, but I _swear_ that no other man is going to do that to me again." I shook with the anger that the memory brought with it. He blew out a forceful breath and looked at me steadily in the eye. "It sounds like you need to find a guy that will treat you like you deserve to be treated. And seriously, please call me Edward." He batted his long black eyelashes at me and I was putty in his capable hands, "Okay, Edward."

"I know that this is awfully forward of me, but would you like to go out for drinks with me tonight? You can bring Alice and her boyfriend too if you'd like." He looked at me again and smiled that crooked smile at me. "I don't know, let me ask Alice and see what she and Rosalie have planned for tonight. Rosalie is Ali's girlfriend." I replied quietly, realizing that I had not even lit a cigarette. I quickly lit one and power puffed on it until it was gone. "Okay then, Bella, I'll come back down when you get off and find out if ya'll will be going with me. What time do you get off?"

I smiled at his southern drawl, "I leave at 10 tonight." "Okay. I'll be here." With that he stood up and left to his room.

I raced to the office to ask Alice, but was disappointed to see that she was bouncing in place, excitement written all over the place, "Rose and I have nothing to do tonight. We'd love to go with ya'll. I've already called her; she'll be here when we leave." "Well, okay then, it's settled. It looks like we are going for drinks with Edward tonight."

I couldn't tame my excitement as the time ticked by. When I finally got smart enough to stop watching the clock, it was instantly 9:50 and Lauren was here to relieve us. I went to the time clock room and punched in my code waiting for the telltale beep that the time clock gave when it successfully clocked it out.

I walked out of the room and bumped into Edward who had changed into another tight button down shirt and a pair of tight fitting jeans. My breath caught in my throat and I smiled.

"Alice already told me that we were going, I've met Rose. Are you ready?" He asked me and extended his arm.

I just knew that this was going to be a very interesting night.

**AN: So…*flinches*…let me know what you think…hit the review button. Like I said earlier, this is just a random chapter 1 for this story; I will be doing this for all 3. Since songs kinda inspired the basics of these stories, each one will have a song title as the title of the story and each one will have the lyrics to the songs at the beginning, so that maybe you can piece together why each one inspired it. I know that I originally named this one **_**What It Feels Like…For A Girl, **_**but I figured that the proper name for it would be **_**The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You**_**. Sue me. XD**

**Kelly**

**PS – Reviewreviewreview…feed my addiction please!!!!**


	2. But Why Is The Rum Gone?

**A/N – Soooo, I will be updating this as often as I possibly can…on New Year's Day, my house was broken into and my laptop was one of the lucky stolen items. I am having to resort to writing this at work or on my girlfriend's laptop…ahhh, evil effin' year so far.**

**Evil Disclaimer: Although I do wish otherwise, I do not own Twilight….actually I kinda do…I own each book and the movie at home. Does that count? No?? Damn.**

**This is going to be a fun chapter, I hope you have as much fun reading it as I am having writing it. **

**Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 2 – But Why Is The Rum Gone?**

I grabbed my bags from Alice's car and dashed to Edward's Volvo. He was already in the driver's seat with the motor cranked. I laughed to myself as I opened the back door and slid into the backseat. I smirked as Edward whirled to face me, a look of pure confusion plastered to his perfect features.

"You know, I'm not your father," he said with a hint of humor coloring his words, "you _can_ sit up front if you'd like." I smiled at him and replied, "I know that, but if we are going out for drinks, I'll be damned if I'm going in my ugly-ass uniform." He scowled, "I think it's sexy. All those buttons…" Petulantly, he put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

As soon as I thought his attention was sufficiently on the road, I began unbuttoning the plain uniform shirt that I wore. I mentally pumped my fist in the air when I remembered that I was wearing the crimson lace and silk bra and thong set that Alice had purchased for me.

I had come home one evening to a huge bonfire in the front of the house where we lived. Needless to say, I was highly pissed when I found out that the things fueling the bonfire were my "granny panties" and all of my comfortable cotton bras. Alice had gone through my dresser drawers and removed any and all undergarments that she found unacceptable. _Which, technically, was everything I owned._ She spent the entire next morning shopping for my new pushup bras and thongs. Hell, she had even bought me a few corsets…what the fuck??

I yanked down the uncomfortable khaki slacks that went with our very unremarkable button up shirts. I was superthankful that I had shaved my legs this morning. Reaching under my feet for the bag that contained my clothes, I heard a hiss. I straightened up and was met with somewhat panicked wide green eyes in the rearview mirror.

"What in the hell are you doing?!" came flying over the seats from his perfect mouth. "Um, I told you that I was not wearing my uniform out." I said back in irritation. "Yeah. So?" He responded. "I _have _to change somewhere smartass." I shot back. "Oh," was the only reply I got back.

I searched through the bag until I found my jeans and t-shirt. Apparently, while I was leaning over, my boob decided to make an appearance. When I had sat back up, my left breast was almost completely out of the bra. _I have to get this fixed without him seeing; yeah, good luck with that._ I was scolding myself as I reached a hand up to my overly-friendly boob, shoving it back into the bra cup.

Again, I heard the hiss and a groan and was met with those same eyes in the rearview; this time instead of being panicked, they were heavy hooded with lust. "Can I help you?" I shot at him, unfolding the jeans that were on my lap. "What??" he said innocently. "You're staring really fucking hard. I would like to make it to the bar in one piece." I retorted, flushing slightly from the embarrassment. "What?" he repeated, "I'm just a guy, I can't help it if there's a sexy woman in my backseat in nothing more than some red lace scraps. I'm just a guy…enjoying the show."

_Hmmm…enjoying the show? I'll give him a helluva show to enjoy._ I thought with a smirk. I lazily trailed my hand from the front of my bra, down my stomach and onto the top of the thong. I traced sleepy circles on the fabric where my slit started. I peeked quietly through my eyelashes up to see that he was still watching intently and then slid my hand into the material, against my skin. I played lightly with my folds, moaning quietly. Wondering silently if he was the catalyst for the moisture there.

I peeked up again and his eyes were impossibly wider. I smirked and let my jaw go slack, breathing heavier. I had plenty of experience doing the whole porn star routine when I was with Jacob. He seemed to want to be with a girl that was unlike me. I let a muted moan escape my throat while I delved deeper into the wetness.

Suddenly, the car jerked sharply to the right. My head shot up as I straightened in the seat. "What the hell, Edward?!" I screamed at him, even though he'd already gotten the car under control. He mumbled something, embarrassed that he'd been caught looking.

"What? I can't understand you." I told him, my irritation growing. I was irritated at myself as much as him for allowing myself to do something so unlike myself just to get a rise out of him. "I got distracted." He repeated his voice a bit playful. Apparently, it didn't take him too long to kick the embarrassment aside. "What, was there a ufo?" I played back. His eyes went back to the lustful look that he had earlier, "No, I was distracted by the sight of you playing with your pretty pussy."

I swallowed noisily and grabbed the jeans, yanking them on hastily. I giggled again at the irritated look in his eyes when I buttoned them up. It seemed that he wasn't all that thrilled about me covering up my "pretty pussy". Ha. I blushed as I thought of what he had said, getting lost in my own thoughts. Suddenly, the car jerked sharply to the left, causing me to fall into the seat next to me. I couldn't help it, I laughed like a jackal. I clutched my sides and laughed harder as he started to do that sexy grumble thing that it seemed he did when he was embarrassed. "Did you…get…haha…_distracted_ again, Edward?" I questioned through the chortles. "Yeah, something like that." He winked.

Fuck this. I so need to get my shirt on so that we can actually get to the bar. I hastily grabbed my t-shirt, dragging it over my head, pleased at the way the lavender cotton hugged my chest. I was also pleased that the pushup bra forced a sexy amount of cleavage out of the low neckline. I laughed a few more seconds, before climbing over the front seat, planting myself firmly in the passenger seat.

I turned to look at him; I was slightly out of breath from having to contort my body to fit into the very claustrophobic space. "All done!" I announced cheerily. "I see," he replied dryly, "we're here."

I looked around a little flustered, it seemed like we just had gotten into the car, but here we were at Nowhere, a local country bar. It was a typical redneck bar, peeling paint, neon Budweiser signs hanging from the windows, old pickup trucks in the grass, someone puking in the bushes on the side of the building. Yep, felt like home.

Alice and Rose had already gotten there and had drinks on the table. "Okay, Edward…you _did_ say that you would be paying for this, right??" Alice asked, bouncing in her chair. "Yes," he grinned, "it's all on me tonight." Rose smiled at him, "So, why did you decide to ask our Bella out? What are your intentions with her?"

I was in the middle of sipping my Walk-Me-Down and about choked on it when she said that. _What the fuck did she think she was doing asking some shit like that?!_ "Rose. What the hell?" I shot at her. I knew that she was a little bit prone to acting like a mother hen, but seriously?

Edward set his scotch back down on the table, eyes bugging slightly as he drawled, "Well, I don't like to drink alone, and she was there, so that's why I asked. Plus, she's about the sexiest damn girl that I've seen in awhile. As far as intentions, you might want to ask her about _her_ intentions, what with the public display that she performed in the backseat of my car."

That was it; I spit my drink all over the floor at Edward's admission. It was officially my turn to have bug eyes as I took in the three people sitting in front of me. "I'll explain it all when we get home," I promised them. Silently, I was begging them with my eyes for them to just let it drop until we got home. Thankfully, for my sake, they totally let it drop. I'm super-sure that I would have died from embarrassment if I had to discuss with them what had taken place.

"So, what do you do for a livin'?" Alice slurred. It seemed that she was not on her first drink of the evening. Edward took a large gulp of his drink then set it down on the table. Leaning forward on his elbows, his eyes danced as he began to divulge some of the secrets that were Edward Masen.

"I come from a loooong line of old money. My granddad, great-granddad and so on were tobacco farmers. The plantation that I live on has been in the family since the Civil War. My father is a surgeon. I went to college for business management. So technically, I run my father's practice. I make sure that all of his books balance out for him. What can I say? It pays rather well." His smile got even more crooked, "So, enough about me, tell me more about each of you."

Alice started, of course. That girl was incorrigible once she started drinking. I looked to her glass; ah, she was drinking rum and coke tonight. _That explains it._ "Well, I work for the Hampton full time, but I also do part time work for a personal shopping company. I get paid extraordinarily well to spend other people's money on what _I_ like. It's a joke. The best job I got so far is where I was paid $20,000 to decorate the home of the coach of the Auburn Tigers. His living room is a lovely shade of pink," she snorted.

"What?" Edward chuckled, "Isn't that a bit cruel? To decorate a man's living space in pink?" "Not if you're a Crimson Tide fan," she snickered louder. "Roll Tide!" Rose hollered. I threw my head back and laughed a good hearty laugh, remembering that job. She was so happy to have been given the opportunity to show her distaste for all things Auburn. In the master bedroom, she actually painted the room blue with orange Auburn logos…with tampons…I laughed for days after that.

"The coach was actually so happy that he recommended her to a few of his business associates!!" I laughed harder, clutching my sides. Edward chuckled, and downed the last of his scotch. "While I'm up, would you ladies like another drink?"

Before he could even get up out of his chair, the waiter came to the table. "Would you like a refill, Mr. Masen?" "Yes, please," he said politely, "also, we need a re-up on these drinks…whatever they are." He waved his arms over the table, just inches above the other glasses on the table.

I looked up into the waiter's eyes and actually took in a sharp breath. His eyes were a shockingly ice blue color and his curly, longish hair was a brilliant shade of blonde. If it weren't for the God of a man sitting beside me, I would have all but begged this man to meet me in the back parking lot.

Alice met his eyes without so much as a blink, "Yes, Jasper, I would like a rum and coke. Please make it strong enough that it can tote me off." "A triple shot of rum and coke, gotcha." He answered with a grin before turning his attention to Rose. "I'll take a Budweiser and a double shot of Jack, please." Rose requested. "No problem." He winked then turned his smile on me. "I think I want a shot of Everclear, a shot of 151 and another Walk-Me-Down." I grinned at him, feeling somewhat unsteady on my chair.

"Bella…" Alice and Rose both chided. "What?!" I responded quickly, "I've had a very rough day. I think I deserve to get plastered."

I looked to Edward who had quirked one eyebrow at me. It seemed that he was about to question my judgment further, thought better of it, and then just turned his eyes back to Rose. "Okay, now how about you?"

"Well, I work at the adult entertainment club just outside of town. I've worked there for a few years. It's how I met Ali. I was dancing one night when this little minx walked right in, walked past all the other girls, dropped a few fifties at my feet and demanded a private dance. I took her back to the VIP area and gave her a dance that she would never forget. She was completely naked before I was." Rose was completely toasted; although she liked to talk about herself, she _**never**_ talked _this_ openly about her and Alice's sex life with anyone but me. "I loved fingering her wet little pussy. It just clenched right around my fingers like it was meant for me. I've never cum that hard without being touched before."

"ROSE!!" I squealed. Edward's eyes were huge and I saw him try to be nonchalant about shifting his obviously hard dick. "Go on," he urged. "No, I think that she's done talking about that, right Rose?" I said, my voice straining.

She shook her head at me, obviously enjoying Edward's reaction to the turn our discussion had made. "I took her home that night and fucked the hell out of her. I've never tasted a pussy so sweet. I couldn't let her go home after that." She leaned over and kissed Alice passionately on the mouth, teasing Alice's nipples with her fingernails.

I had seen their exploits before; it had never failed to turn me on, especially when I had been drinking. Alice moaned into her mouth and pushed her chest harder onto Rose's fingers. Rose then started tweaking her nipples, trailing down the front of Alice's skirt. I took a pre-emptive peek under the table and wasn't surprised to see that Alice had not bothered to wear panties. I tried to give them privacy, but since I was sitting back from the table, I saw Rose's fingers slip easily into Alice's slick folds. I felt the moisture starting to soak through my panties as I witnessed Rose's fingers speed up, as she began banging my best friend with her fingers even harder.

I glanced over at Edward and got even wetter as I watched him watch them. He stroked absentmindedly at his cock through his jeans, so I did the only thing I could possibly do at that moment; I slid my hand over his rock hard erection. His eyes closed momentarily as I tightened my grip on it. Before I could continue my ministrations, my eyes shot up to meet a beleaguered Jasper.

I jerked my hand off of Edward's lap, "OH!" I squealed. _Shit! We've been caught._ Jasper set down our drinks without a word and walked away from our table with a huge smirk on his face. I raised my embarrassed eyes to Edward's amused ones. "Ahem, ladies, your drinks are here." He said, his voice husky and sexy as hell.

I made myself look in the direction of my two best friends, hoping to hell that they had heard him and stopped the public display before we all ended up in jail. I was pleasantly surprised that they not only had stopped but were looking at us expectantly, like they thought we would be doing anything.

_Fuck you, Jasper!_ I swore under my breath. Edward's cock was calling to me. Okay, maybe not, but the alcohol in the adult beverages that I would soon be drinking were calling for a union between my wetness and Edward's shaft.

"A toast!" Alice announced, holding up her drink. "What should we drink to?" Edward asked with a smile on his face. Alice giggled and said, "A toast to the fuck-hot sex that we are all going to have tonight!" She put the drink to her lips and tossed back half of the damn thing, scrunching up her face as the taste hit her. I watched, mesmerized, as Rose shot her Jack and chased it with her beer. Then Edward tipped back his scotch and downed it in one gulp. "Salute!" he said grinning.

Oh, my god! I'm going to need all the alcohol that I can get in my system, I grimaced, grabbing both shots. I slammed down the Everclear first, feeling the familiar burn down my throat and chased it with the shot of 151. Dammit. That one burnt too. I used my Walk-Me-Down as a chaser for my chaser. _I'm such a fuckin' pussy._

Before I could say a word, my bladder started screaming at me. "Pardon me for a moment." I excused myself, rising unsteadily to my feet and staggered to the bathroom. I found the only stall with toilet paper and sat down, relieving my strained bladder. I stood up, flushed and pulled up my jeans, buttoning them up as quickly as possible. I wanted to get back out there. I didn't want Alice and Rose getting frisky again. God only knows what Edward was thinking about my friends' PDA.

I quickly washed my hands and flew out the door. I squealed when I realized that I was face-to-face with Edward.

"What do you call yourself doing grabbing me that way?" he drawled. God his drawl was enough to make me ruin a perfectly good thong. "Um…I'm sorry. I'm blaming it on the alcohol." I said, blushing fiercely. "I don't know what came over me."

He grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and pushed me up against the wall, pressing his lips to mine. He kissed me until I couldn't breathe properly. My head started to swim, and he pulled away to look at me. "Don't apologize…unless you are planning to never do that again. Next time, I want to feel more than your hand through my jeans though."

I pulled in a shaky breath and just nodded. He snickered and grabbed my hand, pulling me back down the hallway and out onto the makeshift dance floor that the bar had so graciously provided for me to break my neck on. There was some kind of hip hop song playing. I didn't really recognize it, but the bass was amazing and it was something that I could swing my hips to.

Rose had taught me some stripper moves and I felt _almost_ comfortable to do them in public sober. Of course that meant that I had no issue dancing that way now. I had a blood alcohol level high enough to put a few rednecks on their asses.

I was facing away from him, happy that our bodies fit together so well. His arms were around my waist, and he was grinding his _still_ obvious erection into my ass. I was so turned on; I was beginning to be fearful that my jeans would be soaked through by the end of the song. I leaned my head back onto his shoulder and we continued to sway to the music.

I was in my happy place. He tilted his head just enough to where his mouth was at my ear. He ground into me shamelessly and moaned into my ear. I shivered so hard it was more like a shudder and he pulled back quickly. "Do you not want to dance anymore?" He asked uncertainly, "Am I doing something that you don't like?"

I leaned my head back on his shoulder, placing my hand on the back of his head, pulling his ear to my lips. "I love dancing with you…please don't stop anything that you're doing. I love it all. Especially the talking in my ear. You can do that as much as you like; your voice is like liquid sex…"

_Holy hell!! Tell me I just __**did not**__ tell him that his voice sounds like liquid sex!!!! What the fuck is wrong with me?_

He laughed a husky laugh into my neck, nuzzling his face into it, his slight scruffle tickling me. "Well, what would you like me to say?" he asked smiling into the bare space between the back of my ear and my hair. I wondered silently if he saw the tattoo there. I got it there because if attention is paid to that spot, I turn into a nympho. "Anything. Tell me the ABC's if that's what tickles your pickle. Hell, long division…_anything_. Just talk." I breathed to the rafters above my head.

His chest heaved with his silent laughter. "Okay…we will just settle on things that are true. The very first time I came to check in to the hotel, I knew deep inside my bones that I had to have you. You are the most amazing, beautiful…sexy…sassy and smart woman I have ever met. I have fantasized about you ever since then. When I fuck a woman, I never fuck them, I'm inside you. I see you; I _feel_ you. It's amazingly irritating." He chuckled, "You have no idea how many women I have called 'Bella' when I cum. You also have no idea how many times I've been slapped because of it. When you agreed to come with me tonight for drinks, I just knew that someone is smiling on me today. Then when your friends started makin' out and you just grabbed my dick, I almost threw you down in the floor and fucked you senseless right here."

I began to shake from hearing the new information caressing my ear. Something deep down inside told me to run like hell. He sounded a little obsessed. _Remember, girl, we have been down this road before. Remember Jake?!?_ The warning bells were screaming in my head; sadly, I was much too far gone to do anything but melt more against him.

"There's no possible way for you to want me that much," I smirked and shifted my weight back onto his groin drunkenly, "The only reason you got so turned on was because of Ali and Rose. Don't be embarrassed about it. It happens to most of the guys who see them together." I was slurring my words a little bit and didn't care in the slightest.

He growled the single sexiest sound I have ever heard in my life and pressed his prominent bulge into my ass, "No. Do you _feel_ this? This is what **you** do to me. No one else. Trust me, I have tried to get the same kind of rise from other women…it doesn't work. And tonight, God willing if you don't pass out or throw up, I'm going to show you what you do to me." I shivered again from the arousal in his voice and the way my body reacted to it.

In one fluid movement that I was super-proud of, I spun to face him and jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He supported my weight without any problem and groaned when my heat landed on his dick. That one little groan was my undoing right then. I crushed my lips to his, begging silently for him not to drop me. He parted his lips and slipped his tongue to my lips, seeking entrance. I let him in and began massaging his tongue with my own. He eagerly responded to my action; his tongue fought for dominance of this kiss, but mine was holding its own.

Suddenly, my rational mind finally made its way back to the forefront. _Excuse me, Ms. Molesting-Fuckhot-Edward-Masen-On-The-Dance-Floor, people are staring. If you are hell bent on finishing this, I strongly suggest that ya'll make your way to a more secluded area._ Shit. It was right. The entire bar was looking at us like most rednecks watch racing. My eyes shot over to our table. Rose and Alice were both watching too, but instead of the looks of blatant surprise that everyone else had, they looked smug; like they had expected this.

What are these girls up to?

I unwrapped my legs from Edward and dropped heavily to my feet, grabbing his hand and half dragged him to the table. The bar erupted into a loud round of applause, cheers and wolf-whistles. I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I flopped into my seat.

Edward slid his chair until it was sitting directly next to mine before sitting down. His leg touched mine all the way to the floor.

I threw myself into a conversation quite forcefully, trying to make myself ignore the way that Edward was rubbing my jeans where my leg connected with my hip. It worked for a very short time until Alice _yet again_ changed topic on us.

"So, since we are all friends here, what are your three favorite turn-ons?" I choked the rest of my drink down and waved my arm at Jasper for him to come give me a refill. He grinned and motioned for me to tell him which thing I wanted the refill on. I motioned back for all three. Damned if I'd give the information out without more alcohol.

"Well," Edward started, "first I'd have to say that I love the feel of a woman when she's up against the wall. Somehow, it feels tighter or something. Second, I love for a woman to tell me when I'm doing something right…actually _tell_ me, not just that moaning shit. The last one is kind of embarrassing…I like to, um, watch a girl" he looked over into my eyes "pleasure herself. There's just something so sexy about a woman taking her own pleasure into her own hands. From the way she touches herself, to the face she makes when she cums; it's just so enthralling. Plus, if I watch her, I can see what she likes and what works for her. There's nothing worse than taking all this time to fuck a girl then her not get hers." He took a deep breath and looked at me again, searching my face to make sure that I wasn't turned off by anything that he had just said. Impossibly, I was more turned on than ever.

"Mine is: 1. Rose's moans just twerk my buttons. 2. I _love_ to be fingered…**ahhhmazing**!! And 3. Foreplay. Hours of it. Hours upon hours….oh hell." Alice rambled out. She stopped short as she saw the flash of lust ghosting across Rose's face. "You next, love." She said invitingly, quirking an eyebrow up at Rose.

"Well, my biggest turn on is sadly, being selfish. I love the idea of only worrying about me getting mine. Al knows that it's not like that all the time with me, but there are just times that I want her to fuck the paint off of my toenails and then leave me be. It's just how I am. My next biggest is sucking. On anything, it doesn't matter. And my last big one is porn…or music…mainly porn. I _love_ the kind where they are all hardcore. As long as there are no cum shots. That's just disgusting." Rose finished with a grimace on her face, and then turned her perfect face to me expectantly.

"Um," I stated sheepishly, "no matter what gets said here, it will **not** get turned against me and I don't want to be joked on about it. I also won't say a word if it's going to change anyone's perspective of me." I glanced pointedly at Edward who made a motion to cross his heart. Subconsciously, I knew that I could tell Ali and Rose anything and they'd still love me. Hell, even if I'd had something for horses or something. They may request I get put on meds, but they would still love me.

"Ok, so I love it when I'm riding a guy and he just lifts his hips up when I'm sliding down and lifts my hips up. It rubs something on my walls that makes me crazy, also, it fills me completely and what girl doesn't want to be filled completely? Second, sadly, not to steal one of Edward's, but I love to watch a guy jerk himself off. It's not for the same reasons that Edward has, I just love to watch it. There's something so primal about it. And lastly, I have a _serious_" I mumbled the last part "rape fantasy." I raised my voice back up after it being so low during my declaration of which type of fantasy I had, "And that's it for me."

"Wait!" all three of them stopped me at once, "I didn't hear that last part." "That's it for me?" I asked like a question. "No," Edward said, looking intently into my eyes, "what type of fantasy do you have?" I rolled my eyes that I was going to have to repeat myself, "I have a rape fantasy. It's like I get off work or something and go out or whatever and this guy, who I can't see, grabs me and pulls me behind a building and fucks me against my will. What can I say? When I masturbate, if I can't get myself off any other way, I fantasize about that and I get off every time."

_Damn this alcohol! I just told them that I masturbate. Well, fuck, it's not like they don't all do it. Anyone who says they have never tried it lies. Anyone who says that they have tried it and didn't like it lies too._

I looked around at each face around the table and was actually surprised to see that they were all had lustful expressions on their faces. Hmmm, interesting. Let's see one more thing, "Another thing that's the best is to have someone watching me fuck someone. Especially if they touch themselves while they watch." I grinned as they all murmured their appreciation at my offering just one more thing.

I was met with various agreements of, "Yeah", "That _is_ hot", and "It could rock my world." I laughed out loud and downed the last of the alcohol that was meant for me and stood up unsteadily. "Are we ready to go home? I'd like to relax away from all these people." I said, eyeing Edward meaningfully. If I had my way, he would not be using that hotel room at all tonight.

Everyone stood up silently and grabbed their respective things. I followed Edward to the bar so that he could settle the tab. "That will be $329, Mr. Masen. How will you be paying for this? Cash or credit?" I felt my face flush instantly, knowing that the majority of the impressive tab was my fault.

Edward handed over his Amex card and signed the slip of paper before turning to me with that crooked smile on his face. "Please let me pay for my part of the bill." I asked, embarrassed to hell. He looked at me, scowling, "No, I said tonight was on me." "Please?" I asked again, trying desperately to get him to let me pay for my end. "Seriously, Bella, No." He said, denying me again. "Isn't there _anything_ I can do to pay for my drinks??" I asked, my voice laced with the pent up arousal that I'd been feeling for the past few hours.

He winked at me and slapped me on the ass, "I'm sure I can think of **some way** to even up." His drawl was still sexy, even more so when he had some alcohol in his system. It made his drawl more pronounced. We walked out to the car.

It was still hot as hell outside, I felt sweaty and sticky almost immediately. I climbed into the passenger seat, thankful for the air-conditioning that poured out of his vents. "So, where to beautiful?" he twanged. "To my house." I answered like it wasn't even a question. The party had just begun. I didn't have to work tomorrow, nor did Alice or Rose, so we were gonna be up for a while still.

I waited silently as he sat there just looking at me. "Well?" I asked with a smile. I was confused. Why were we still sitting here? "Well, I need to know how to get to your house." He replied, the crooked smile back on his gorgeous face. My smile faltered for a second, "Oh."

I gave him the directions and we were parking in my front yard in only a few minutes. Of course Alice and Rose had already gotten here. I wondered silently what they were doing. Then again, it's best if I don't ask questions.

I looked over at Edward, who was currently appraising the house. It wasn't as big as a plantation, but it was our little piece of heaven. Our house was an old two-story farm house. We walked up to the front door; I turned the knob and pushed the door open. Alice and Rose were sitting in the living room, the massive stereo playing the local top 40 station.

"Welcome Edward!" Alice squealed from her place on the loveseat, "Welcome to our home!" He smiled a large, friendly smile at her and walked quietly into the room. I sat down on the couch next to the loveseat and patted the seat next to me. "So ladies," I asked, "what are we doing now? More talking?" I knew that Alice had already had our night planned out; it's just the way she was. "Nope," she replied, "we're playing truth or dare."

I laughed and looked at Edward, he looked totally at ease. "Sounds like fun." He said. "Goody!" Alice squealed, "I go first. Edward, truth or dare?" "Um," he thought for a moment, "dare?" Alice clapped her hands together and Rose just smiled her secretive smile. "I dare you to strip Bella naked…but you can't use your hands."

My eyes shot open as I realized the implications of the dare. Edward just grinned at me, "Okay." He stood me up and grabbed my shirt in between his teeth and drug it up over my head, I took the initiative and unbuttoned my jeans and bra. There's no way that he'd be able to do it with his teeth. Quite quickly, I was naked and sitting on the couch. I wished that I could say that I was uncomfortable, but I've been naked in front of the girls countless times and I was hoping that Edward would see me naked tonight, so I was perfectly comfortable.

"Um, Rose," Edward said with a smile, "truth or dare?" "Dare." "Since I don't want Bella to be uncomfortable, using _only_ your hands, I dare you to first strip yourself then Alice." She smiled and I snorted. Uncomfortable. Ha. In true Rose fashion, she stripped herself expertly, giving us all a hell of a striptease. Then she turned on Alice and none of her clothes had a chance. She tore Alice's button-up open, buttons flying everywhere. She made short work of the rest so as to avoid the temptation of having Alice's naked flesh so close to her.

"Bella, truth or dare?" Rose asked, her eyes glinting mischievously in the light. Hell, I couldn't take a truth with everyone else taking dares like they needed strong medication. "Why don't we just give each other dares? Truths are a pussy way out." I responded laughing. Everyone else joined in with me and then Rose said the words that blew my night wide the hell open. "I dare you to have Edward lay naked on the carpet and you kneel over his head and play with yourself until you get off." She smirked at me, knowing that I was probably gonna cum in zero point two seconds with his breath hot on my wetness.

"Alright." I stood up, and took Edward's clothes off. I held my breath when I opened his shirt; his muscles were glistening with sweat. I felt like I was going to die when I removed his pants; his cock was standing straight up. He laid down on the carpet and I knelt over his face. Taking a shaky breath, I slid my hands down my already hard nipples and looked down at his face. His eyes were so full of lust; I was surprised that he was handling himself so well. As my fingers got nearer to my center, my breathing got heavier.

I just wished that they would just dare him to fuck me until I couldn't stand. That would make this so much quicker. I slipped my fingers in between the folds, getting my fingers wet and slid them up to my clit. I circled it relentlessly, hoping to pop quickly. Suddenly, I felt a tongue graze the opening. My eyes popped open and I stifled a moan. "Ah, ah Bella," Rose said, right behind me, "I didn't say that no one else could do anything to you. Open wide honey and say 'ohhhh'."

I felt myself get wetter as Edward's mouth crushed down hungrily on my dripping pussy and Rose and Alice's hands rubbed my breasts and clit. Edward stuck out his tongue and I gyrated on his mouth, feeling his tongue work its magic just inside of me. I reached behind me and grabbed Edward's cock with one hand and a handful of pussy with the other. I stroked and fingered as Edward continued to mouthfuck me. I turned to look to see which of my two friends it was that I was fingerbanging. I moaned when I realized that it was Rose. She bounced on my fingers as she licked and sucked Alice's clit.

Although we were all nowhere near finished with everything, I started to cry out as I began to cum. I couldn't see Edward's dick, but knew when he was cumming. I felt him lose himself over my hand hotly. Rose began to twitch above me as Alice let out her signature howl as she gave herself over to her orgasm.

As the last of the twitching and moaning quieted, we all collapsed, breathless, to the floor. "So," Edward said through a chuckle, "that was interesting…hot, but interesting." "Truth or Dare with us tends to be interesting." Alice said laughing. "Well, that just whetted my appetite, and I feel famished, you two play nice…Rose baby, I have a few games that we can play tonight." Rose's eyes clouded over and she stood up. Rose picked Alice up and started to carry her up the stairs. Alice wrapped her legs around Rose's waist and they kissed all the way to their room.

I looked over to Edward who was still trying to catch his breath, "Well, what do you want to do now?" I asked him mischievously. "Do you have a backyard?" he asked, his eyes glinting. "Of course we do…" I answered. "What all is out there?" "Um, grass, trees, picnic table, a pool and hot tub…" I was starting to see the puzzle pieces starting to slide together in his head.

"I want to claim you in the hot tub." He said huskily. "Fair warning," he said with a smile, "I'm going to ruin you for any other man." "Oh, really?" I flirted back.

Sadly enough to say, he had already ruined me for any other man ever…he just didn't know it yet.

**A/N: So, what do you think?? Lots of baby-smut….haha. I think I'm quickly falling in love with this story. I will be updating the other one as well, as soon as I can. My work schedule is all kinds of fucked up right now because some coworkers are not really into being team players. GAH!**

**Anyways, leave me a review….Show me some kind of love. Next chapter will be the hot tub fornication and the next day and the day of work afterwards. Hope you likey….**

**Reviews are better that getting breathless kisses by Edward in a redneck bar's hallway. XD**


	3. A Bit Of The Bubbly

**A/N: Hey all!!!! I bet you didn't expect to see this ever again! Haha. Sorry for the superlate update and know that I am indeed trying to get on a better updating schedule. So, I'm in a little bit of a better mood as of late…my girlfriend was approved for a home loan so that we could get out of the shithole of a place that we were in that was broken into. I think 2010 is beginning to look up! :D Much longer A/N at the bottom.**

**Okay – enough of my BS – let's get on with this.**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own anything Twilight….this plot and version of Edward, however, is mine…thank God. Also, I do NOT own Ding How Chinese Buffet or the Blue Iguana night club, both located in Prattville, AL. ;)**

**Here we go with some old fashioned good natured smut…enjoy! **

_**Chapter 3 – A Little Bit Of The Bubbly**_

We took no time in getting to the hot tub. If any of our neighbors had seen us, they probably would have laughed hysterically; Edward in all of his naked fuckhotness chasing me through the house.

I had been holding my own for the first lap around the living room, but unbeknownst to me, when Alice and Rose got naked, their clothes and shoes were partially hidden under the edge of the sofa. On the second circuit, I tripped over one of Alice's heels and sprawled out on the carpet. To make matters worse, Edward tripped over my foot and landed heavily on top of me. He laughed a really good laugh until I caught my breath again.

Fucker was heavy.

Apparently, I looked really pissed because he dropped his head and gave me the pouting puppy dog face. Damn, that puppy dog face is hot. I seriously wanted to bite him in the face. Twice.

I quickly forgot everything but the two of us as his dick was lying over my knee. I reached down tentatively and stroked it, effectively ending his sadness. In one quick movement, he stood up, grabbed me by the waist and flung me over his shoulder.

I couldn't help the giggles that escaped my lips as he flew through the house, heading for the back door. When we reached the back door, he flung the screen door open and ran through. I squealed as the door slammed back onto my bare ass, hitting with a resounding _crack_! I'm pretty sure that the entire neighborhood heard my squeal.

Edward sprinted up the stairs and jumped into the bubbling water before putting me down.

He placed me down gently into the hot water. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as he began caressing my body.

"Fucking beautiful, Bella," he breathed. I reached out to touch him, but he smacked my hand away saying, "No, just let me worship you for a minute."

He continued stroking my curves, lavishing my breasts with kisses, licks and nibbles. I began to writhe, needing friction from his as desperately as I needed air. When his hands hit my hips under the water, I nearly came undone.

"Please, Edward," I begged him, lifting my hips to him. "Please what, Bella?" he responded to me, clutching my hips hard which made my breath stop altogether. I sucked a noisy and embarrassing breath in through my teeth. "Please…I need you to…ungh…" I trailed off as he moved one hand down to my throbbing pussy. He cocked one eyebrow at me and removed the pressure he was applying to me and I instantly felt the loss. "You need me to what?" he smiled. "You know what the fuck I need!" I growled at him. "I can only guess…unless…" he was toying with me…he reapplied the pressure with more force. I groaned under his hand. "Unless what?" "Unless you **tell** me what you need." He looked at me with scorching green eyes. "Ohhh, I need you to fuck me." I was moaning from what he was doing to me.

His eyes started to smolder, "Sorry, Bella, but I don't fuck." That one sentence blanked my brain out. My rational mind started to try to pick it apart. My irrational mind immediately went to right before we came out here. I remembered him saying '_I want to claim you in the hot tub.'_ I said the first thing that came to my mind, "Then _**claim**_ me. I need you to."

That was all the urging he needed, his eyes blazed and his mouth crashed to mine, kissing me with a fierceness that almost scared me. Sadly, I was far too turned on to be frightened. I spread my legs, grounding my feet into the seat that I was setting on. Instantly, he was in between my legs, kissing up and down my throat. He grabbed his dick and paused it at my entrance, rubbing it back and forth over the hole. He was driving me insane and he knew it.

I quickly thrust my hips up to meet him and squealed as he met my thrust with his own, burying himself to the hilt inside me. I felt so full that it was almost painful. I threw my arms over the edge of the tub, gripping them for life as he pounded into me relentlessly.

I only was partly aware that the water from the tub was sloshing out of the tub, soaking the patio.

His breath was labored, as was mine as we rode closer and closer to our respective orgasms. Edward began to tremble above me, moaning. His muscles tightened, making the knot in my abdomen clench taut, teetering on the edge.

"Harder! Faster!" I urged him. He banged into me like a jackhammer, my neck rubbing the rim of the tub almost painfully. Finally, he released into me, making the single sexiest sound I have ever heard. That was my undoing right there. I threw myself over the edge in abandonment, screaming like a banshee.

Edward flopped beside me, still breathing heavily and pulled me into his lap, holding me tightly to his chest. I sighed contentedly, breathing in his heady scent. I couldn't help but nuzzle my face into the crook in his neck.

He wrapped his arms around me tighter and we just sat and relaxed for hours. I giggled at the simplicity of the moment as we watched the sun rise and color the lawn in all the gorgeous oranges, pinks and lavenders of a beautiful Alabama morning.

I wiggled out of Edward's arms and looked at his face, so peaceful in sleep. He must have passed out while watching the sky change colors. I figured that now would be a good time as any to go check my email and deal with the pesky Jake situation.

I climbed the stairs of the tub, grabbing one of our plush towels and wrapping it around myself so that I wouldn't track water all through the house.

Silently, I slipped into the house, heading straight for the office. I sat down in front of the computer and waited while it booted up and thought over the moments that had brought me to now.

I hefted a still drunken sigh and signed in to my email. Jake didn't disappoint me, having left another email since the one that I had not responded to the day before. It read:

_Bella,_

_I don't see why you're still doing this to me. I have begged and pleaded with you to move back up here and still here you sit in some shithole in Alabama, hangin out with some fuckin rednecks. Seriously? Do you hate me so much that you had to move over a thousand miles away? I thought that what we had was good. You are the only thing that matters in my life. _

_Fuck that!! Why in the fuck aren't you answering my emails? If I don't get a fuckin email back from you soon, Bella, I'm comin my ass down there and draggin you back by your hair. You remember what happens when you piss me off? Just keep that in your mind. I will do it. You know I will._

_I'll fuck you up, Bella. I swear I will. Are you fuckin someone? Is that the reason why I haven't heard from you? I'll fuckin kill him Bella. I put that on everything._

_Later._

_Jake~_

_PS. You got one week before I come down._

_Oh yeah, your dad misses you._

What the fuck? Jake is such an asshole. I felt my fury bubble up into my throat and all hell broke loose when I hit the 'reply' button. My reply came rushing out in a mad dash to kill the asshole:

_Jacob._

_Seriously? Are you a fucking retard? Do you even begin to realize that you just threatened to 'fuck' me 'up'? Could you stepped back from the crackpipe long enough to remember that I __**am**__ the police chief's daughter? Keep talking shit ReRe, and I'll have your ass locked up so long that when you get out, you will have forgotten how good pussy actually felt…regardless of how you made it feel._

_Yes, I fucking hate you. Yes, I moved to get away from your abusive ass. No, I will not be coming back, except to maybe go to your funeral…where I will have no qualms when I squat and take a shit directly on your grave. Although it is none of your fucking business, No, I am not with any guy. Being with you has shown me that I don't really like guys…or dick. I am a lesbian now. I live in a lesbian whorehouse and I sleep with a different bitch each night just to drown out the painful memories of your hourly abuse on my mind, body and soul._

_If you step so much as one foot onto Alabama soil, I __**will**__ call the police and have you arrested for stalking. If you come within a 100 foot radius of me, I'll kill you myself. I'm not the same small, scared little girl I used to be Jacob and when I start to beat your ass, just remember to think of how I felt each time you broke one of my bones or made me bleed…or made me lie to my own father about how I'd come home so bruised each day._

_This is my warning to you Jacob Black: Forget I ever existed. Forget my name. Forget my face. Move on with your pathetic life and find yourself another poor girl to victimize._

_B_

_Tell my dad that I'll call him soon._

There. That should do it. I signed out of the email account and twisted the office chair away from the computer to stand up and squealed like a little girl when I saw that Edward was standing directly behind my chair.

The squeal died in my throat as I registered the murderous glare that he was staring at me with. He was trembling from head to foot. If we were not in the situation that we were currently in, I would have laughed. He looked like someone had him in an invisible paint can shaking machine.

I looked at his frightening exterior and asked, "Edward, oh, my god! What's wrong?" He replied, "_Jake_ doesn't seem to know who he's fucking with. I swear on everything that I am and everything that I have that he will not be laying a finger on you. I can't believe that he's being such a douchebag. If I ever meet him, Bella, I will be more than happy to go to jail for kicking the shit out of him."

All of that came out in a rush and I struggled to make sense of it after the whole 'Jake doesn't know who he's fucking with' thing. I was kinda unsettled listening to such a beautiful man speak death and destruction on a man who he had never met before.

Funny. But unsettling.

I looked up at his face and tried to force him to meet my eyes. He was still trembling and I was starting to worry. I feared that he would snap and hurt me. Hell. I didn't even really know the guy.

_Way to go Swan! _I mentally chided myself. _You let a guy you don't even fucking know (that has admitted that he's obsessed with you) into your house overnight!! Do you really have a fucking death wish or did Jake just turn you into a jumbo fucking bad boy magnet!!! Holy hell, girl._

He seemed to reach deep into himself and calmed down. He looked at me with crystal-clear sincerity and the clouds that had shaded his face blew away. "Hey, I'm sorry about that…it's just that I awoke to find you gone and I became worried that you were just an amazing dream…" he trailed off and his eyes misted over, "And then I came to find you and didn't want to disturb you while you were writing an email, so I just waited…I didn't mean to read your email, but I got bored while I was waiting for you to finish up and I just kind of read them."

He kicked shyly at a loose piece of carpet and looked down at his toes, reminding me of a boy who just got caught by his mother when he had been masturbating or something. I laughed out loud, I couldn't help it.

"It's okay this time, but next time, I'm going to just kick, scream and never speak to you again." I said with a wink. He smirked at me, "Yeah, like you could never speak to me again. I'm a guest at your hotel. You would _have_ to speak to me." I poked him in the chest with my index finger and laughed, "But don't forget that I can refuse service to _anyone_ at _anytime_ for _any reason_." "Why, Bella, are you _threatening_ to not check me in ever again?!" his smirk got even more wide backing me up to the desk and kissed me fiercely.

I kissed him back fervently, molding my body to his and I wrapped my leg around his hip. I couldn't help but let my eyes trail over his well muscled chest.

With one well placed swipe of his arm, he knocked off half the crap littering my desk. Grabbing me by the hips, he picked me up and placed my ass on the cold oak. My towel fell away and he swooped down to take my nipple in his mouth.

I leaned my head back and reveled in the sensations that were coursing through my body. After a moment my brain cleared and I remembered my best friend was sitting in the top drawer of my desk. I moved my foot to where I could open the drawer and reached past his waist to bring out the red pocket rocket that Alice and Rose bought me for Christmas last year.

What?! Don't look at me that way, being single and having access to great porn requires a certain red plastic buzzy thingy. Anyway, I didn't pay for it and it feels great.

I stealthily moved it behind me and waited until he was sheathed in me and otherwise oblivious to anything else that was going on around him. Reaching behind me I turned it so that it would cut on and brought it around to my clit. The familiar buzzing made my stomach tighten up and my walls around him began to clench him tighter.

Edward leaned his head back and groaned a deep, guttural growl, finally taking notice of the buzzing and the start of the milking of his dick. He looked down at my hand holding the toy that was circling my clit and he just. stopped. moving.

_Fuck!_ My breathing stopped too as I waited for him to say something. Anything. I began to worry that he was going to be the type of guy who didn't like to be outdone by anything that was battery operated.

I'm sure that the look I gave him was one of a deer that was caught in the headlights of an oncoming speeding semi. I sat frozen looking at him for what seemed like hours, but deep down inside, I knew that it was only seconds.

Edward looked down again at my hand then up into my eyes and the lust I saw there thawed me out. He moved in and out of me slowly and when I resumed my ministrations with the pocket rocket, he watched.

"I'm about to…oh my God!" I cried out as the rubber band inside of me snapped and I fell over the edge into oblivion. I panted loudly as I realized that he still had not gotten off. I figured that I would help him along.

I pulled away from him, smirking when he hissed at the loss of contact. I turned over, sticking my ass close to him and wiggled it back on him until I felt him touching my entrance. He pushed in and began moving slowly.

I wanted him to get his so badly that I began to ache so I did the only thing that I knew would work, "Baby, I want you to claim me." I turned around and looked meaningfully into his eyes, "Hard."

Edward took the initiative and grabbed me by the hips roughly and plunged into me as roughly as he could, eliciting a loud moan from the both of us.

I knew that someday, my pre-pornstar training with Jacob would come in handy.

"Mmm…yes! Fuck me!!" I screamed as his hips repeatedly smacked my ass harder each time. "Is this hard enough for you, baby??" he growled in my ear as he continued his pounding. I knew that my ass was going to be bruised the next day, but it felt so good that I couldn't bring myself to care. "Ungh, no…harder..." I grunted at his thrusting. I turned my head and caught him in some kind of internal struggle. It seemed that he couldn't make up his mind. I pushed back more firmly onto him and said the words that he seemed to want to here, "I want you to hurt me, Edward, make me yours."

The insecurities in his eyes vanished and he had a whole new resolve. He wound his hand in my hair and pulled my head back taught and whispered in my ear, "You want me to hurt you baby? Say 'cotton' if it gets to be too much." With that, he slammed into me with a new fervor, keeping one hand in my hair, keeping my head pulled back while pinching the shit out of my nipple.

To say that I went from enjoying myself to so wet that I could wash Edward's car was an understatement. I reached back and gripped his balls, squeezing them gently in time with each thrust. He moaned loudly then bit my shoulder, and it was not lost to me that I felt the small trickle of blood down my shoulder.

When he bit me, I felt my walls clench and I let my second orgasm course through my body, making me shudder. While my walls continued their contractions, I felt Edward stiffen behind me. "Fuck!" he shouted, just as his dick started jerking within me.

"Damn," I breathed. Edward let go of my hair and I collapsed heavily onto the desk feeling quite content as he ran his hand through my hair, soothing me after our hard fucking session.

"My thoughts exactly." He whispered. He scooped me up into his arms and carried me out of the office and up the stairs. "Which room, my queen?" he asked in my ear while I drowsily waved my hand in the direction of my bedroom.

Always being the gentleman, Edward went into the bathroom that adjoined with my room and wetted a washcloth to clean my bite mark. "I'm so sorry, love. I didn't mean to make you bleed…" he whispered as he leaned down to kiss my shoulder, first above the wound, then below, then directly on the spot.

Sadly, I'd never felt this loved in my entire life. Even with Jake, when he was being sweet. He was never so tender with me.

"It's perfectly okay, Edward, I'm not complaining. Hell, truthfully, I wouldn't have changed anything about it. It was just so…" I was lost for the right word. _Special? Loving? __**Weird**__?_ "Magical." He finished for me, looking a bit star struck. "Um, that's not quite what I was gonna say…more like it was just so…unusual."

His face fell a bit, "That's not quite what I was hoping for." "I didn't mean that in a bad way. I'm so used to being the victim in the relationship that I'm not used to feeling _cherished_." I shrugged my shoulders not knowing how else to say what I felt like I needed to.

"Well, if I continue to be an active member in your life, you will be cherished and spoiled more often than you ever could imagine." He murmured in my ear. "Let's get you to bed now. We have more time to talk tomorrow. I'll be checking back in then."

I made my way to the bed, holding his hand. I just stood there at the edge of the bed feeling a little dumbstruck – I'd never had a guy in this room, much less in my bed. I stood staring as he carefully peeled back the covers and slid in between the sheets, urging me to curl up in his arms. It took me only a minute before I came to my senses and crawled in with him. I placed my head on his chest and quickly started to lose consciousness, but not before I heard him whisper in the direction of my ear, "Isabella Swan, you are simply the most perfect woman I have ever met. It would be far too easy to fall for you…" Before I could hear the rest of his confession, sleep pulled me under where I dreamt of the safe harbor of Edward's arms.

I stood by Edward's Volvo, wishing him a good day and was pleasantly surprised when he kissed me gently on the lips and told me that he couldn't wait to see me again tomorrow.

I watched him drive away with the stupidest grin on my face ever when suddenly I felt a slight pressure on my back.

I whirled to face Alice, who was clad only in a white plush robe that was tied in a knot in the front.

"So, what was that about?" she asked, "You two seemed pretty...um..._cozy_ last night."

_Yeah - like she had nothing to do with it!_

"I'm sure that you and Rose had no hand in planning that little rendezvous." I shot at her, the venom apparent in my voice. "Never!" she answered.

_If she hadn't had such an obvious look of innocence on her face, I __**might**__ have believed her._

"So, where am I taking you to lunch?" I asked flinchingly - Alice always did have a taste for the more expensive restaurants - places my meager budget wouldn't allow without great sacrifice on my behalf.

"Ding How in Prattville." She said it like it was obvious, "You know I do so love their Beef and Broccoli." Instantly, I was thrown into a fantasy of the most fabulous Chicken Teriyaki I had ever put in my mouth. "Okay," I agreed, my stomach growling loudly at the thought of the best kept secret buffet in Alabama.

"Let me throw on some clothes and I'll be right back down!" I said hitting the stairs in a dead sprint - something that someone as clumsy as me should not even begin to consider.

"Let me dress you, Bella!" Alice squealed, just two steps behind me when I missed the step and went down like a grandma. "OHMIGAWD!! Are you okay?!" she shot at me, reaching down to help me up, like her crack-headed pixie ass could have hefted me to my feet. "Physically or emotionally?" I asked, brushing the imaginary dust off from my knees.

"Oh honey," she cooed at me, keeping her hands locked on my arm and led me to my room at the end of the hall.

Two hours and enough makeup and hair product to gag a pig later, Alice, Rose and I were climbing out of Alice's Big Bird Yellow Porsche - a gift from a former customer whom Alice had redecorated their entire twenty five room plantation house. When she had completed the project, the plantation looked like it came straight from the civil war - complete with antique furniture and wood burning stove. The client was so impressed that not only did they pay her the agreed upon $75,000, they paid her an additional $25,000 plus bought her a brand new Porsche as a bonus. (Alice had only been half joking when she said that they would make her lifetime if they surprised her with the car of her dreams.)

We walked into the restaurant and was instantly greeted and seated by one of the extraordinarily cheerful waitresses. One reason why we loved this place is that it is owned by a large Chinese family that lives in the area and they all work there - they know us by name, where we would like to sit and have our drinks on the table by the time we get to it.

"Help yourself!" Linda (our favorite waitress) exclaimed happily. "Thanks Linda." we all replied in unison and headed off towards the buffet line which had been recently refreshed - everything smelt so good.

I, as per usual, grabbed my plate and started with a small bed of steamed white rice and made a beeline for the Teriyaki, staring down any unsuspecting fucker who got too near my area. After heaping it on my plate, I sidestepped to the Beef and Broccoli, added a small spoon of it, then walked to the end of the line to grab a bowl to pick out the few things that I found didn't agree with me. I sat my overfull plate down for a few seconds, grabbed another empty plate and loaded it down with their famous Cream Cheese Wontons with Crabmeat.

I was officially in hawg heaven. I piled my plates carefully on my arms and walked quickly to our table. Being here always made me feel like a pig - I always ate my weight in their wonderful food - what they must think of us Americans. Gah.

Sitting across from Alice and Rose, I finally felt the last bit of embarrassment fade from my face. Alice had a heaping plate of Beef and Broccoli with Fried Rice. Rose was tactfully eating the large plate of General Tso's Chicken that was in front of her with chopsticks. - I had never quite mastered that skill - hell, I still had a problem with eating with a fork or spoon without making a mess.

We talked very little throughout the meal, the last time I had tried to talk while eating, I had ended up getting slapped roughly on the back, by a complete stranger, to dislodge the peice of steak that had wedged itself in my windpipe. What can I say? I'm a walking disaster; I'm honestly surprised that I haven't accidentally burnt down the hotel by now.

Through the entire meal, I found my mind wandering over the events of last night. No matter what my mind started out with, it always ended up with the same ending - piercing emerald eyes. Every time I would begin to go over the best sex that I had ever had, Alice would snap me out of it by asking random questions - mostly, "Wow, can you believe she wore _that_ out of the house? I wouldn't be caught dead in that." Rose would always agree with her and I found myself adding in "Yeah"s and "Uh-huh"s where ever I could.

Finally, I was brought completely out of my reverie by Alice's small hand waving frantically in front of my face. "See, I told you he was batting for my team!" she whispered cheerily. I turned around in my seat to see who she was talking about and came face to face with Jasper.

"Good Afternoon, ya'll." he greeted us; "I'd like you guys to meet the best thing that has ever happened to me, guys this is James - James this is Alice, Rosalie and Bella. They are regulars at the bar - they make sure that there is never a dull moment for me. Isn't that right girls?" he smirked.

I felt my face heat up at the sudden memory of last night at the bar. We all managed to choke out an agreement and laughed uneasily.

"Well, I will see you guys soon?" he said like a question. "Yes, definitely, Jasper. Thanks for always taking such good care of us all the time!" Alice said winking at him. "It's what I'm there for." he said and with that, he grabbed James's ass and maneuvered him to their respective table as I sat gawking at their retreating forms.

"Wow, what do you think about James?" I whispered at Ali and Rose. "He's kinda pretty. His hair is _almost_ as pretty as mine." Rose said vainly as she stroked her blonde locks. "Well, we all know who the girl in that relationship is." Alice added, nodding.

This conversation was taking me to areas my mind should not be going: sex between Jasper and James. I could just see Jasper grabbing James' ponytail and riding him like a bronco…I mean, _damn_. That was a perfect waste of good panties.

I flew through my meal, so that maybe, just maybe, I might be able to get home and get some sleep before meeting my own personal sex God in person.

The ride home seemed shorter than going to eat and I found myself daydreaming of Edward and swirling hot bubbles.

When we got home, I mumbled some excuse about needing more sleep and trudged my way up the stairs, collapsing into my bed and immediately falling asleep.

I awoke sometime later, it was dark outside. My stomach gurgled loudly and I realized that I had only eaten that Chinese food today and that was already out of my system.

I plodded my way down the stairs and took the route through the living room to the kitchen without thinking. I heard the distinct sound of skin slapping skin and froze in panic.

In front of me was Rose riding Alice on the couch. I had heard of their 'prosthetic limbs' before but had never seen the action sequence firsthand. Alice was wearing some kind of thing that looked like a leather g-string that held a large purple dong in place and was sitting under Rose, reaching around to play with her breasts as she rode her hard.

"I'm so sorry ya'll!" I squawked, continuing to walk through to the kitchen. "Its okay, Bella," Rose said in between pants, "would you like to come help? Hell, you can even just sit there and watch if you're not comfortable participating."

I eyed them skeptically; I had never really taken their offers seriously before even though I knew that Rose was serious and Alice had always made it clear that they like to play with others. I felt bad for even considering this offer; Edward was putting so much faith in me to give us a shot. The devil on my shoulder joined in on this argument and made it perfectly clear that we had not promised to be exclusive yet and this was something that I had always wanted to try out.

_Bella, _my devil chided_, you are a 19 year old sexually active female. You should be experimenting and learning more about yourself. Don't be a prude – less than 24 hours ago you were having hot and wild jacuzzi sex – what the hell went wrong?!_

My angel was having a heyday too – going insane and screaming in my other ear: _Don't listen to that bitch Bella! You must honor the bond that you and Edward are beginning to forge! He isn't at home right now fucking the nearest thing to his glorious dick…I'm pretty sure about that…he sounded pretty intense about us last night and today. Either way – you are going to continue your trek for dinner._

The devil leaned around my head and shot back – _Shut up whore! You were enjoying the banging that we were receiving too; don't act like you weren't. You had your head thrown back just like we were – hell you even got yours too. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a shrine set up to his member right now that you pray to. _She stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms, satisfied that she made an amazing argument in favor of joining in on some girl on girl fun. I waited a few more seconds and didn't hear anything from her so I just assumed that she was in silent concordance with the devil for a change and went to sit on the couch opposite Rose and Alice.

They had several battery operated playthings sitting out around the living room so I had a choice of what I wanted to use if it came down to it. The things sitting closest to me were a rotating and throbbing g-spot stimulating vibrator, a multicolored solid glass in the perfect shape of a dick and a couple different pocket rockets.

I looked from the toys to the couple sitting no farther than five feet away from me and sat back to watch, pretty sure that I was going to have no problem getting into the mood so that I could join them. I began to get twitchy just sitting there watching them; I felt the moisture start to dampen my thong.

Rose was slowly grinding on Alice's lap, rocking back and forth. While she was still grinding, she trailed a hand from her hair over her firm nipples and perfect breasts to her swollen pink clit. She rubbed in circles for a few minutes before she started to bounce on Alice's lap again; the wetness increased exponentially at the sight of Rose's tits bouncing. Her moans came from deep in her throat and she leaned back against Alice so that I could have a better view of the ten inch, thick purple shaft slide in and out of her. I was a little surprised that she took the entire length without any problem.

Without really thinking about it, I stood from the couch and removed my sleep shorts and thong before removing my t-shirt. I sat back down and grabbed the vibrator, sliding it in painstakingly slow before turning it on. Once it was on, I continued to slide it in and out, getting more into it. Rose was giving me the show of a lifetime, while she was still bouncing on Alice, she leaned over and tossed her head in a circle before letting her hair fall over her face and shoulder seductively. As her moans became progressively louder, I was finding myself moaning in time with her.

"Mmmm, Al look at Bella fucking herself right now." Rose purred seductively while circling her hips, "What do you think she's thinking about right now? Do you think she's imagining Edward fucking her in the hot tub again or do you think she's thinking about us doing this to her?" Her eyes hooded over with lust as her bouncing and moans begun to become more frantic as her orgasm washed over her.

Watching Rose getting caught up in her own pleasure made my own walls clench tightly around the vibrator that was rotating deep inside of me. Alice peeked her head around Rose's side as I began to howl. My orgasm was all consuming and I temporarily lost complete coherence while my convulsions began to slow.

When the throbbing inside of me stopped altogether, I remembered that I had an audience. I peeked up shyly, moving the hair out of my face. Rose and Alice both were looking at me with a mixture of what could only be described as astonishment and pride.

"Well done Bella!" Alice exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. I blushed furiously as I stood up and shakily put my clothes back on. "Um, sorry about all of that. I was just coming down for a quick dinner before going back up to pass out again. I need all the rest I can get. Edward's checking back in tomorrow and I don't know what he is planning on doing tomorrow night." I said slowly, coming to the realization that tomorrow was Friday night.

Friday nights with Alice and Rose always found me at the club, dancing my ass off in the midst of flashing lights, infectious bass filled beats and sweat covered bodies. I didn't know if they would continue the tradition with Edward as a possible permanent addition to our ensemble.

"Yeah! He can go with us to the Blue Iguana! It will be so much fun!!" Alice's enthusiasm was contagious. I was soon as excited as she was; I was eager to see how Edward would handle the Blue Iguana's traditional 'blackout dance'. Once a night, they would play Lady Gaga's 'Dance In The Dark' and completely turn out all the lights on the dance floor. It was the single hottest thing ever. You would end up not knowing who you were grinding against, who had their hands on you. There have been several girls to get off on the floor during that song. I have managed to do that twice. Each time, when the lights came back up, I was breathless and ready for a drink and a celebratory cigarette.

"Sure, it will be fun. But maybe the next time you walk in on us Bella, you might join us now that you are beginning to be more comfortable?" Rose asked, standing up from Alice's lap. Rose leant over, picked up her mid-thigh length silk robe and put it on while walking into the kitchen to scavenger for food. "Yeah, that may not be a problem." I responded, following Rose while Alice took her novelty sized appendage off and clothed herself too.

"Back to tomorrow night, what are we going to dress you up like?!" Alice asked excitedly as she walked into the kitchen behind Rose and leaned up to kiss her on the back of her neck. "God, Alice, I don't know. How about we jump that hurdle when we get there?" I shot back at her in hopes that she didn't go overboard when tomorrow night came along.

"Let me handle everything," she said cheerfully as she bounded out of the room, most likely to begin to put my outfit together for the next night.

_Lord, give me strength!_ I prayed silently as I began to get butterflies thinking of the green-eyed man who was quickly turning my life on its ear. Tomorrow was going to be the longest night ever.

_**A/N – So, I hope this was okay. I do understand that I was supposed to also include the next day, but this chapter was getting far too long for my liking…it felt like it was going on and on. Also, sorry for the random smut at the end…it just kind of happened, blame my Media Player – it had a really bad sense of humor during the writing of this chapter. (it was on shuffle) I was completely taken aback…even though it did great things for my relationship…LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT - hahahaha. **_

_**I had received something from one of my readers expressing concern that it was superearly for Edward and Bella to be having sex, but…first off, alcohol makes people do strange things that they wouldn't normally do. Also, remember, Edward has been coming to the hotel three times a week for the past year, so technically, they aren't **__**complete**__** strangers – so maybe that helps out a little.**_

_**Yes, Bella is 19 in this story and is not only being admitted into bars, but is being allowed to drink. Some places down here are like that…also it doesn't hurt matters either that she is going into clubs with the likes of Alice and Rose. Bouncers and bartenders would probably take one look at the three of them and just drool. GAH – what it must be like to be one of the beautiful people…but I digress…**_

_**I like Edward to be a little more intense than what he is in the books/movies. It may make him creepier, but definitely hotter if you ask me. Also, I think the idea of Edward biting Bella so hard he leaves a mark is hawt as all hell. Yes, Jacob is a ginormous asshole/douchebag in this story – I'm sorry, I'm completely Team Edward. I didn't ever like how Jacob was in the stories – always giving Bella ultimatums and expecting her to be perfectly okay with giving up the love of her life…*makes a really screwed up face*.**_

_**JSYK (fun bit of trivia for you) – Ding How and Blue Iguana are both really in Prattville – both are amazing places to go…..*eyes glaze over at the thought of Teriyaki Chicken and Cream Cheese Wontons from Ding How* And in her email to Jake, Bella calls him a ReRe. It is something that I have picked up from my brother and sister-in-law. It is their 'special' way of saying retard.**_

_**Well, I've done enough babbling – THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to all of you who have favorited this story and me!! Also, thanks a million to those of you who leave reviews – they are the fuel that pushes me to write more quickly – if you ever have any questions or comments that you aren't comfortable leaving as a review, you are more than welcome to PM me – I do respond to each and every review and PM as quickly as I am able to. **_

_**SO PLEASE JUST JUMP TO IT – REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!!!!! I know…it's just my ADHD kicking in…sorry. But please do REVIEW. I love ya'll like Alabamians love pickup trucks and Everclear. *wink***_

_**~Much Love~**_

_**RedneckAngel**_


	4. Fallen Angels After Dark

**A/N: Wow! Look what the cat coughed up! I saw a window of opportunity to update and ran with it…..sadly, I am writing this at work while I am supposed to be working, so yeah, that kinda sucks! So, without further ado, here's the next chapter….this one is promising to be somewhat interesting….I have a promise to keep to jbrosr4ever….this is my first attempt at changing POV's in the middle of a chapter, so bear with me and if it sucks, I'm so very sorry. Lol. **

**The same ol' tired disclaimer…..I do not own anything remotely Twilight related. I do not own the Blue Iguana. I do not own **_**Dance In The Dark**_** by Lady Gaga. Hell, I'm doing good right now to own my own words….haha. Seriously though, storyline is mine, everything else belongs to its respective owner…have lots of fun reading this stuff…it is being written through a muscle relaxer/pain killer haze from pulling something in my back. HAHAHA…sorry…I feel kinda goofy. OH! Haha! I DO own the blackout dance at the Blue Iguana! Haha, eat that shit, disclaimer! :P**

_Chapter 4 – Fallen Angels After Dark_

BPOV

I was standing at the front desk watching with mild interest as Alice checked in an older couple. I was only even mildly interested because the man had been arguing with her for the past 15 minutes about the rate: He's a fucking senior, He's a war veteran, He's a grandfather to 12 grandchildren, He's a blood donor, He's got Medicaid…hell, I'm pretty sure that he even tried to convince her that he was related to her on some cosmic plane in another lifetime.

No matter who you are, what you do, or even who you do, you do not just get a discount here because. We physically have to see the card of the membership you belong to. I honored a AAA discount before without seeing the card with my own two eyes and thought that Carlisle was gonna rip my head off. He turned eight shades of purple and cussed me out in a style that would have given a sailor a heart attack.

"Well, sir…the rate is what it is and if you don't want to pay that rate, I will happily call the Key West Inn for you. They have rooms available starting at $35.49 + tax and they would happily hold a room for you." Alice said as politely as possible. I could tell by the slightly clipped tone that she was using that she was literally one more whine away from leaping the counter Olympics style and strangling the geriatric bastard.

I smiled like the Cheshire cat as the old man looked at her like he did not fully understand why she wouldn't discount the rate. "I'll take the room at that fucking rate….but you best damn believe that I'm gonna call your corporate office and let them know that I am _**NOT**_ 100% satisfied." With that, he snatched his keys and strode out of the lobby, not even checking to see _where_ his room was.

"Bet you $20 that he comes back because he has no idea how to get to his room." Alice said quietly, before turning on her heel and stomping angrily to the back office. I followed her silently and watched in horror as she sat down in one of the office chairs and lit one of my cigarettes, puffing it down quickly.

"Alice!" I squealed at her when I was finally able to find my voice. "You know that Carlisle is going to die when he finds out that you were smoking in the office!"

She pointed one perfect finger at me, "I'm _entitled_ to a cigarette after dealing with that asshole. Carlisle can officially kiss my ass…do you know how many women he's had in this office, screwing them on every surface imaginable? I'm sure that he wouldn't say shit to me about it."

Before I could reply, the bell on our monitors chimed, alerting me to the guest coming in the front doors. I flew around the corner and came face to face with the elderly asshole that made Alice smoke in the first place.

"That bitchy little fairy of a girl did not give me directions to my room." He accused, venom dripping from his words. "I am _terribly_ sorry sir! If you just go out the front door, to the right, walk right past the pool, your room will be just on the left." I shot off the directions as quick as I could manage, smiling all friendly and shit in hopes that he wouldn't understand a word that I said.

I smiled again, as Alice shot around the corner, a panic struck look on her face, "Bella! You gave him the wrong directions! He's gonna be so pissed!"

I threw my head back and laughed good and hard, "Yeah, well…he pissed you off, and you know better than anyone Ali, you fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us. He fucked up. I set him straight. End. Of. Story. Period."

The panic on her face disappeared immediately and she laughed her tinkling laugh…as the peals washed over me, I knew that she felt better.

Time flew by with no more incidents until Edward came strolling in. My stomach dropped as I saw him walk in next to a skinny blonde who was dressed rather conservatively. I shot a panicked look in Alice's direction and she met my panic with a poisonous glare.

As they got closer to the desk, they grew farther apart until the blonde was standing in front of Alice and Edward was in front of my computer.

I slowly met his emerald stare and was befuddled to see that one eyebrow was raised in question. I shot the blonde a look and trained my daggers of death glare back on him, raising my own eyebrow in question.

My temper flared as he began to laugh. He laughed so hard that he had to put his hands on his knees to keep from falling over. "Oh! You think that we….hahaha…" he chortled loudly, looking to the woman while the tears were streaming down his face.

The woman looked at us in bemusement, then reached into her purse and pulled out…wait! Was that a credit card?

"I'd like to check in now, please." She said politely, "The reservation is under the name Ramona Acreman." "Yes, ma'am." Alice began the check in process with a huge smile on her face when she saw that we were both wrong.

I felt the blush rise to my cheeks as I realized the same thing. _Of course_ he was walking in with her; he probably was doing the gentlemanly thing and opening the door for her.

_Shit, Swan! Get a grip! Even if he was bringing her in here to get lucky, you have no place to say anything! He's not yours! What the two of you have right now is nothing more than two adults helping each other out…._

I was silently beating myself up for being such a bitch about it. I was so busy berating myself, that I didn't even realize that I had completed the check in procedure and he was standing there holding his keys looking at me like he was seeing a priceless work of art for the first time.

I blushed furiously and said in my fake _super_happy voice, "Well, that's about it, Mr. Masen, if you have any problems, do not hesitate to call us. Have a wonderful evening!"

I turned to walk into the back office when I felt his strong, lithe fingers wrap completely around my wrist, pulling me back to the desk. "I will…have a wonderful evening, that is, if you will go with me to the Blue Iguana tonight. I hear that they have some kind of dark dance. I would love to dance with you with the option to do what I choose to do to you…" His voice dripped sex and I could not help the shiver that passed over my body….the images that danced through my mind of his hands ghosting over my skin, his lips over my body.

I looked at him, still trembling, "Where else would I go?"

**JPOV**

"Hey baby!" I hollered at James, knowing that we only had a couple of hours until it was time to go. We were both off for the evening and I wanted desperately to go to the Blue Iguana for the night. Granted, with me working at Nowhere, I could get the cover fee waived and all the free drinks that I could stomach, but there's just a moment in your life when you just wanna be a normal person for a change. No discounts, no freebies – plus, the Blue Iguana had a better sound system and d.j on Friday nights than we did. "Are you ready? We gotta go eat!"

I was shouting in the direction of the bedroom, hoping that his goofy ass heard me. I was ready to go eat a big, juicy steak from the local steakhouse and have a beer to start out my evening. "James!" I screamed, "Baby?"

Still no word from him.

Hmmm.

I walked down the hallway in our cozy three bedroom home on the way to the large bedroom that we shared. "Are you even awake?" I asked hesitantly at the door.

I swung the door open and stood there staring with my mouth hanging open.

James was lying naked on the bed, stroking his already hard cock. I felt my own twitch in longing.

"Dammit, Jazz, I've been in here for fifteen minutes waiting on you…." He murmured.

I snapped my mouth shut and made my way to the bed. My eyes roamed his body, from head to toe. I loved the way the light gleamed on his silken long white blonde hair, the mischievous gleam in his teal eyes, the way his tanned muscles shone even without oil, and especially the way that his stomach muscles tightened and released each time he moved his hand up and down the shaft.

By the time I was done with my inspection of him, I was standing at a painfully attention. I began to absentmindedly stroke my own dick, more interested in his ministrations.

I wasn't given proper time to think before James was on his knees in front of me, begging me with his eyes to be the one to please me, rather than myself.

I leaned forward into him, giving him my permission.

James licked his lips then put his hand around me, pulling me softly a few times. Lowering his mouth to me, he kept his eyes on mine.

I loved looking into his eyes as he sucked on me. The emotion that I always saw there made my stomach clench in tight little knots.

Closing his eyes for only a moment, he took my length completely in. I felt my tip brush his throat and I had to force myself to calm so that I wouldn't explode immediately. He brought his mouth back and forth on me, teasing the sensitive underside with his tongue. Occasionally, he would gently rake his teeth over me and I couldn't help but thrust my hips forward into his waiting mouth.

I moaned and he would groan in response, vibrating my shaft. I could feel my balls begin their journey up to my body, tightening in anticipation of their glorious release. I put my hands through his silky hair and tried to gain control over this situation.

I guided myself into his mouth slowly, circling my hips, letting the feel of his mouth on my cock continue to pull me closer to the edge.

I knew that Jamie loved nothing more than to suck me off until I shot my release into the back of his mouth. He loved the taste of me, but I had better place in mind to mark him.

"Baby," I murmured huskily, "put your hair up and get on your knees on the bed." His eyes lit up and he hastily threw his hair up into a haphazard ponytail. I knew that he enjoyed being dominated; biting, scratching and pulling hair were the things he most enjoyed being done to him.

I forced my shaky legs to get me over to the bed and reached into my nightstand drawer, pulling out our warming lubricant. I steadied myself behind him and opened the bottle, pouring some into my palm.

I scooped some up with my fingers and slowly circled them around his tight hole. Gently, I pushed first one finger in, making sure that he was ready for me, then a second - just to stretch him a little so that I wouldn't hurt him.

He moaned and I looked down to see that he was stroking his cock, enjoying the feel of my fingers in him.

When I was sure that he was slick enough to do this, I reached down with the hand that still had lube on it and rubbed it all over my throbbing dick. I reached my other hand down and grabbed his ponytail, knotting my hand in his hair. I put my head next to his, "Are you ready for me Jamie?" I purred in his ear.

He wiggled his ass back towards me as a means of response. The tough Jasper I was becoming for him was not having any of that. I pulled his hair tighter and growled, my lips right against his earlobe, "James, you will answer me when I ask you questions, if not, I will get dressed right now and you can go without tonight."

I loved slipping into this role for him. I grabbed my erection and ran it back and forth over the hole, spreading the moisture out as much as I could, "I said - are you ready for me James?"

He tried in vain to move back onto me and instead moaned out, "God, yes - baby, I'm always ready for you. Please give it to me..."

Pulling his head back to me, I eased just the head into him, reveling in the sensations of his tight ass sucking me in. He moaned loudly, and jerked harder on himself. I pulled completely out and pushed into him quickly in one thrust, moaning as he took me in entirely. I put my unused hand on his back and steadied myself before pulling back again, almost wholly out of him.

I groaned at the sensations I was being attacked by and began to fuck his tight whole with a new fervor. I threw my head back as I continued my loving assault on my beloved. I reveled in the feeling of my hips repeatedly hitting his asscheeks.

I watched the reddening of his cheeks from the constant smacking they were receiving and locked my eyes on the sight of myself slipping in and out of him.

I bent over him further and reached down with my hand and stroked his almost bursting dick as I continued to fuck him from behind. I felt my own impending orgasm coming so much closer, but I'd be damned, he was gonna cum first.

"Jamie," I gasped, "just let go baby. Cum for me - now!"

Just as I got 'now' out of my mouth, he moaned so loudly that it was almost a scream and spilled his nut all over my hand and onto the sheets.

Feeling his hot and sticky seed on my hand was all that it took to turn me into a monster; a machine that could not stop doing what it was doing for anything. I rammed into him repeatedly, relentlessly until I felt my orgasm crash over me. I stood in the throes of my passion, still inside of him, feeling my cock jerk spastically until my balls felt empty. I had not noticed until just now that James had reached back when he knew that I was right there and squeezed my balls in time with my orgasm, almost as if helping me pump my cum into him.

I collapsed onto his back and kissed his neck, lazily wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"Thank you Jamie," I kiss his full lips and smile, "I needed that."

**BPOV**

I stood in my bedroom, looking in the full length mirror that I was in from of in disbelief.

"Ali! There is no way in hell that I'm wearing this to the club! I won't make it in the front door! This is indecent! That's it! I'm not going!" I exclaimed each new fit at a higher pitch than the last and by the time I was done, I was damn near in tears.

I stood, raking my hands through my hair, in a pair of dark blue flared jeans that were so tight, the crack of my ass was perfectly visible. Alice even had me in 'fuck me' kitten heels. Jesus. For the sad excuse of a top that Alice currently had me in was a blacklight respondent blue bikini top that was a size and a half too small and a tight, white t-shirt that was ripped everywhere, but the most noticeable rip was right across the chest, making my boobs stick out through the hole. There was no way that I was gonna go out in public like this.

_No fucking way in hell._

God love Ali, she had my IPOD on my sexy mix trying to get me in the mood for Edward tonight, but right now, I just felt so goddamn exposed that I couldn't wipe the blush from my cheeks if I had a bleach soaked wire brush.

I knew that if I walked out of the house looking like this, I was only gonna get one reaction out of him. The reaction was a good one but if I expected to make it the entire night until the blackout dance, I would need him just on the edge of wanting to take me, not jumping over the cliff without a second thought.

_Fuck it!_ My less than decent side said, locking the angel up for the night in a closet.

Throwing caution to the wind, I grabbed my money, driver's license and lipstick, putting them into the random pockets where they belonged.

I took one last look in the mirror, mussing up my hair a little to make it look a little sexier. I took in my makeup, silently thanking Alice for the heavy, dark eyes and the nearly nude lips that she gave me. I thought I looked hot. The black eye shadow was smudged just enough to look like I had just climbed out of bed after getting the best sex of my life and the messy hair helped make the look complete.

_If Edward was allowed to have just been sexed hair, then we will both match tonight._

I bounded down the stairs and joined Alice and Rose who were now waiting for me out on the front stairs. I followed Alice to the Porsche and felt Rose's eyes rake over my body.

"All I can say Bella, is that if this does not get a response from that good ol' boy, Alice and I would love to take advantage, er, I mean take care of you tonight." Rose's throaty voice floated to me over the sound of the tree frogs. I felt my skin flush with goose bumps, and knew that this was going to be something else.

We arrived in record time, thanks to Alice's massive lead foot...she had already had a few drinks tonight and alcohol only served to give her lead foot an extra ton.

We pulled up to the front door. The Blue Iguana was having some kind of special event tonight and there was a valet area. Alice drove directly up to the valet and got out, dropping her keys into his hands.

I had to laugh when she made a back and forth motion between his eyes and hers, making sure that he was paying attention to what she was saying, "Listen, if there is so much as _**ONE**_ single scratch on my baby, I will fuck you up so bad your own mama won't recognize you. Now, help my bestie out of the car like a gentleman should!" She gave her last order, smacking the back of his head and went around to the passenger side to offer Rose her hand.

I blushed furiously as the valet pushed the front seat up so that he could help me out. I wasn't incapable of getting out on my own, but the chivalrous act made me feel really special.

I offered the guy my hand and could not help the tiny streak of vanity that flowed through me as I saw the people standing outside waiting to get in eyefucking me while I got out of the car. I was almost half expecting time to slow down to allow me my movie 'slow motion entrance'.

I smiled a smug smile and walked around the back of the car, still with my hand on the guy's arm when I heard a growl close to me.

My smile got even wider when I saw that it was Edward and he was shooting the valet a very serious look of death. I laughed when the valet dropped my arm like he was holding a hand grenade filled with acid.

"Men need to learn their place in society....and who they are and are not suited for!" Edward huffed as he offered me his arm. I lightly placed my arm on his arm, near the wrist and sighed as I regained the contact that I had missed since he dropped my arm at the hotel. When he wasn't near me and touching me, I felt like a crackhead without their next fix.

I finally felt like I was able to bring in a full breath; it felt wonderful.

I looked him over from head to toe and my breath hitched in my chest. He was breathtaking in a tight pair of blue jeans and a button down short sleeve shirt that was left open, exposing his well muscled chest.

He led me into the club, completely bypassing the bouncer who was checking IDs. "Do you know what is so special about tonight, Bella?" Edward asked, close to my ear so that I was able to hear him.

"Other than you being here?" I flirted shamelessly.

"Tonight is the Blue Iguana's last night looking as it does, they are going to remodel it, so tonight has been aptly named 'Tear This Mug Down' Night. There will be different things going on tonight that they have been wanting to do for some time, but have not been able to because of the setup of everything. This is their last big bang before they start the remodel. It will take about six weeks." he explained; I struggled to hear his words, his breath was giving me chills.

"Oh." was my genius response.

I looked around as we walked in and I was astounded. Everything looked like a rave; it no longer looked like the Blue Iguana that I had been at countless times before. There were more flashing lights than before and strobe lights galore. The speakers were covered with what looked like plastic tents. Hell, even the d.j booth was covered with a tent. What the fuck?

"What's up with the fucking tents?" I laughed, "Are they gonna do something circus related?" I looked up into his excited emerald eyes and caught my breath. "I have no idea...I have a business acquaintance who owns this....when I came in and saw all of this myself, I went back outside to wait for you and called him. He wouldn't tell me shit, just that I would enjoy it." He laughed a hearty laugh.

"Well, we don't have much time before the blackout dance...you wanna dance with me?" I asked. I was burning to have some kind of contact between the two of us...right now, conversation wasn't cutting it. I needed to touch him.

Some random sexy-ass remix of Depeche Mode's _Enjoy The Silence_ was playing. I thought it sounded a lot like Linkin Park, but before I could mull it over much Edward was pulling me into the sea of people and lights.

He spun me around, grinding into my ass brazenly. _God, _I thought silently; _if he dances like this to club music, I am so gonna marry him._

My hand flew up to my mouth as I realized that I had, once again, thought of marrying him. What was this man doing to me?

I danced the whole song with him, moving seductively. At some point I realized that it didn't matter what anyone else thought of how I looked like when I was dancing....only Edward. I only danced for him and he seemed to be enjoying it, so why not?

I swung one leg up over his hip, only somewhat worrying about ripping these jeans with such a ballsy gesture. Thankfully, Alice knew that I would need a little give in them, so they were a bit stretchy. His hand found my calf and gripped it tightly as I ground my groin into his. I leaned my head back, shaking my hair wildly as the music began to flow through me. I brought my head upright and started panting at the blatant lust in his eyes.

We continued to grind our way through the next few songs. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my ass that was not Edward's and squealed loudly, whirling to face the assailant. I let out my breath in a puff as I saw Alice standing there with two drinks, holding them out in a peace offering. "You two have been dancing for 45 minutes!" she exclaimed, "You haven't drank the first drink! C'mon Bella, let go a little."

"Sure, what the hell!" I winked at her and threw back the drink....and choked....it tasted like really strong alcohol. "Ali! Are you _trying_ to kill me?" I gave her my pouty face and then laughed.

She winked back at me and said, "No, your drink was called a "Fallen Angel" and Edward's is "After Dark"....get it? Fallen Angels After Dark? You guys are gonna be so screwed after the dark dance! Hahaha!" With that explanation, she walked away, shaking her head at the two of us.

We continued to dance for another several songs before going to the bar and slamming back a few drinks and then going back out to dance some more.

After what only felt like minutes, I heard the familiar opening lines fill my ears –

_Silicon, saline, poison inject me  
Baby, I'm a free bitch  
I'm a free bitch_

I squealed like a child, wrapping my arms around his neck and began jumping around like crazy. Before Edward could react, the lights went completely out…leaving us in a warm cocoon.

_Some girls won't dance to the beat of the track  
She won't walk away  
But she won't look back  
She looks good  
But her boyfriend says she's a mess  
She's a mess  
She's a mess  
Now the girl is stressed  
She's a mess  
She's a mess  
She's a mess  
She's a mess  
(Tellem', girls)_

I wrapped myself around him, waving my hips from side to side to the beat. I began to move my hand down the front of his jeans to his painfully obvious problem. Before I could get my hand in between the waist of his jeans and his skin, the chorus hit.

_Baby loves to dance in the dark  
'Cuz when he's lookin'  
She falls apart  
Baby loves to dance in the dark (Tellem', girls)_

Halfway through the chorus, a siren went off and the sprinklers began to shower all of us with ice cold water. I stiffened for only a moment, until I felt Edward's lips on my face, searching for my mouth. I inclined my head just enough to ghost my lips across his and was rewarded with his warm breath bathing my face. I deepened the kiss and sighed when his hand snaked to my jeans and made quick work of the button and zipper. I felt his hand caress my bare skin; I couldn't help but to push my hips forward to meet his hand.

_Run run  
Her kiss is a vampire grin  
The moon lights her way while she's howlin' at him  
She looks good  
But her boyfriend says she's a tramp  
She's a tramp  
She's a vamp  
But she still does her dance  
She's a tramp  
She's a vamp  
But she still kills the dance  
(Tellem', girls)_

I felt a few more hands dance across my skin, feeling my ass, breasts and even my neck and stomach. I could feel my arousal increase exponentially. This is why the blackout song was so hot and mix that in with the slickness of the unexpected waterfall from the sprinkler system, I was gone; abandoning myself to the feeling alone.

_Baby loves to dance in the dark  
'Cuz when he's lookin'  
She falls apart  
Baby loves to dance in the dark (Tellem', girls)  
In the dark  
She loves to dance in the dark  
In the dark  
She loves, she loves to dance in the dark_

My hips picked up with a new fervor and I found myself leaning into each of the hands that were loving me.

_Marilyn  
Judy  
Sylvia  
Tellem' how you feel girls!_

Work your blonde (Jean) Benet Ramsey  
We'll haunt like liberace  
Find your freedom in the music  
Find your jesus  
Find your kubrick  
You will never fall apart  
Diana, you're still in our hearts  
Never let you fall apart  
Together we'll dance in the dark  


The water continued to fall around us and I heard the unmistakable sound of Edward moaning. I moved my hand down into a gap between his jeans and his skin and ran right into someone's hand.

_Oh, hell no! Ain't no one gonna touch my man like that! That's my dick to play with!_ I mentally was cursing the person with their hand on my man's package.

I smacked the hand away and wrapped my hand around his length, stroking rapidly. I didn't get too many pulls on it before he came all over my hand.

_Baby loves to dance in the dark  
'Cuz when he's lookin'  
She falls apart  
Baby loves to dance in the dark _

As the last beats of the song sounded through the room, I let myself give in to the feeling of the hands still on me; of the feeling of Edward's hand still down my pants, and moaned loudly as I shook from the power of the feelings.

I looked up into his eyes as best I could with the water still pouring from the ceiling into my eyes and fell against him heavily, glad for the support his solid form was giving.

"Bella, I will never forgive myself if I don't tell you this…" Edward said in a husky voice, his messy hair drooping into his eyes, allowing the water to course more evenly down his face, "from the moment I saw you, I knew that there was gonna be something special between us. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt….I'm madly in love with you…"

I felt myself gasping, unable to take in a full breath and my vision started swimming before the darkness overtook me.

**A/N: *peeks from around the corner she's hiding behind*…..Okay, so that was a cliffie…I know, I'm wrong, but this chapter was becoming far too long….12 pages in Word….I hope everyone can forgive me. :s Anyways, I'm praying that no one decides to stone me. I liked all the imagery in this chapter and I beseech you jbrosr4ever, please like your part…*wink*. **

**Well, I have figured that only about 0.1% of everyone who reads this story reviews, so I'm gonna try something out here….if you review, I will give teasers for the next chapter.**

**So, let's get to it! Review and make my life a happier place to be in! ;)**__


	5. Mimosa

**A/N: So, I saw another window to update and just did it. *Fair Warning* - There is a lot of darkness in this chapter; we will be delving into Edward and Bella's respective pasts…**

**This is probably gonna be one of the darkest chapters in this story. After the chapter, there are a few links to pictures that I thought would be good if you want to see what the big deal is about Alabama's skies. Also, following them is my playlist….enjoy!**

***Worn out tired ass disclaimer*- I do not own Twilight, any recognizable characters, places, etc, belong to their respective owners. Blahblahblah…..anyways, on to the dark side.**

***grins wickedly***

**Chapter 5 – Mimosa**

I sat in the living room on the couch, looking at Alice and Rose in their shocked faces.

I had just told them about Edward's admission...I was still in a state of shock myself, unable to believe what he had told me myself.

My head was throbbing from the lack of oxygen and I thought back to the past three hours.

From what I had understood, Edward had not left my side when I fell out on the floor. When I awoke in the front seat of Alice's car out in the parking lot, I suddenly felt the urge to throw up.

_I looked around to see who all was with me and was face-to-face-face-to-face with Alice, Rose and Edward, all whom were looking at me like they were waiting for me to do a trick or something._

_"Hey." I murmured to the friends who surrounded me. "Are you okay, love?" Edward asked, worry creasing his brow. "I'm fine...just still feeling a little out of it right now." I admitted shakily. _

_"I need to get you home." Edward said tenderly, trying to get me to stand up from the seat. "No. I'll go home with Alice and Rose." I said softly._

_I looked up into his eyes, which were strained and hurt. "Its okay, Bella. I was hoping to spend some more time with you…" he trailed off as I started shaking my head vehemently. _

"_Edward," I said, "I think we have spent enough time together tonight…just go home."_

_I flinched at the angry tone of my voice and my heart broke when I saw the tear slide down his cheek as he turned to walk away._

Leave it to Alice to snap me back to reality. "So, what are you gonna do about Edward?" she asked, getting straight to the point. That normally was something that I loved about her, but right now, it was just downright annoying. "I don't know!" I exclaimed.

Due to the situation I was in, I had my head hung low in my hands and I felt like I just wanted to cry until my eyes ran dry.

I raised my bloodshot eyes to look at Alice and was face to face with Rose. She had knelt down in front of me, placing her hand gently on my knee. Ever since I had been here in Alabama, Rose had never been the most comforting person to me; normally administering her typical "Suck it up! Life sucks, and then you die." motto.

She began rubbing my knee in a soothing fashion and looked directly into my eyes before giving me her advice. "Look, Bella," she began, "Edward loves you. We know this and you would be a fool to not get that. The question is: How do _you_ feel about Edward?" She looked up into my face expectantly while I fought the sob back down my throat.

"That's the thing, Rose," I answered, the emotion still pushing its way back up my throat, "I don't know _how_ I feel about him. When he is with me, I feel like I can't get close enough to him. I don't want him to leave when the time comes for him to go home. My heart beats like crazy; I feel like I'm gonna have a heart attack. When we are fooling around, it feels like he is the only person in the whole world. When he cums, I think his face is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Then at the same time, he's always so _intense_. He's possessive and we haven't really even begun to date! The intensity of his self-proclaimed feelings for me makes me nauseas. It sometimes frightens me…I just don't know what to do anymore. _!_"

I threw my head back and wailed as loud as I possibly could, hoping that it would help me with a decision. Of bloody-fucking course not. My life is fubar. Fuckedupbeyondallrepair. Fubar on a stick. I looked back to my best friends and became irritated when I saw their conspiratorial look that they were so good about passing under the radar with.

I threw my hands up in the air, "WHAT?" My voice was a decent pitch scream. I was getting so pissed off; everyone seemed to know more about my life than I did. That thought alone unleashed all the tears that I had been holding back for the last few hours. I sat and cried, and cried…and cried. Then for a change of pace, I sobbed for awhile. When I got tired of that, I went back to just crying. By the time it was all said and done, Rose and Alice's shirts were soaked with my tears and I officially had nothing left to cry, reducing me to sniffles, hiccups, whimpers and the random sick snot snort.

I felt myself being lifted into strong arms and being toted up the stairs. I knew by the smell of Rose's cologne that she had finally gotten tired of comforting me and was putting me to bed. I chewed my lip, still worrying over the Edward situation, as sleep came to claim me.

I awoke to the feeling of a warm body cradling me. I instinctively snuggled down farther into the body, being lulled back into sleep by the heartbeat belonging to the body. I pushed my face into the area that there should have been warm mounds of soft flesh, had it been Rose or Alice holding me in my sleep.

The chest was flat and muscled!

I sat up straight in bed and leveled a death glare at Edward's rumpled appearance. "What in the fuck are you doing here?" I shrieked at him, trying in vain to push him out of the bed.

"Listen, Bella," his gentle voice urged, "Let me explain. Alice called me and explained everything, she said I needed to come and speak to you. You understanding what is going on between us is important to me – hell, YOU, in general, are important to me…" he ran his hand through his hair, eyes downcast and darting from side to side.

I held my hand out in a 'STOP' motion and tried really hard not to jump from the bed and dramatically fling myself down in the floor like a child. "Edward, you _hardly_ know me!" I exclaimed. "For all you know, I could be some deranged woman who kills sexy-assed men! How would you feel to find out that I was some super-psycho who was planning on killing you in your sleep?" I was trying hard to put this in a sensible way…he looked right at me, his face softening, "Bella, if it was you delivering the death blow, I would gladly go on to the afterlife…you really don't comprehend how much I love you, do you?"

He was beginning to look at me in a mushy tone of voice, it was making me twitchy. He obviously wasn't getting it….and I was becoming exasperated. We had reached an impasse, and I was sick to my stomach from hurting him. If he wanted to do this, we would do this the right way.

I jumped from the bed, my feet hitting the floor with a loud thump. "Let's take a walk, Edward." I said, grabbing my jeans from the floor to put on over the thong and under the long t-shirt that Rose had left me in early this morning. "We need to talk…apparently, you want to start a relationship, and before I can do this comfortably, I want us to spend some time getting to know each other. I'll be damned if I will get into and stay in another relationship just because someone wants me to be in one."

I gave him a small half smile and was relieved that he looked thankful that I had decided to give him a chance.

He took an unnecessarily deep breath and then looked up into my eyes, his emerald eyes shining with unshed tears.

I made a mental note to myself, "_Okay, Edward is highly emotional. Not like you are innocent of emotional outbursts and random tears, but I digress…_"

I held my hand out to him after zipping my jeans up. I found myself happy when he took my hand and squeezed it assuredly. My heart was swelling with the happiness knowing that he was content because I was finally giving him a chance to wholly possess my heart.

I opened my door, pulling him with me. We took the stairs rather quickly, skidding to a stop at the bottom, facing the living room as we registered that Rose's large sound system at full volume playing Usher's _Little Freak_. Granted, it was a fuckhot song, but we were trying to get to know each other mind and soul, we already knew each other's body. Lastly, I didn't want to witness one of Ali and Rose's sexploits just before going to have a soul-bearing session with Edward. And from the moans coming from the living room, they were right in the middle of a very _large_ sexploit right now.

"Um," I said, my voice tight in embarrassment, "I think we should go out the back door. There's a huge back yard on this property, complete with a walking trail…I think that would be our best bet to avoid the horny twins. Come on."

I pulled him behind me again, him giving less resistance now that he knew that it was a two-person party in the living room that, although we were probably being invited to, we didn't want to witness that. We needed this time together.

We hit the back door in an almost jog, flinging the door shut behind us and jumping off of the porch. This time, it was not both of us skidding to a stop, it was him. I heard his breath suck in as he took in the massive back yard. Rose and Alice's house sat of almost forty acres of land. I had been star struck for the first few weeks after I moved in, the land was beautiful.

The beginning of the back yard was stunning; it was all sloping green grass and pecan trees. When you walk past the pecan tree grove, you found yourself on a dark grey rock trail that wound through a smaller grove of weeping willows and mimosa trees. We stopped to rest on one of the many wrought iron benches that were placed sporadically along the trail.

Edward sat down first. I sat beside him, shifting to make myself comfortable until he leaned closer to my face, dazzling me. "Do you trust me?" he near whispered as he brushed his fingers over my cheek. I nodded and allowed him to pull my head onto his lap. I found that this was a really comfortable position to be in for our long talk.

I maneuvered so that I was lying on my back, looking up at the weeping willow branches that swayed just over Edward's head and could not help the contented sigh that escaped me. If I thought he was striking in the sun, it was nothing compared to the beauty I saw as I looked up into the softness of his eyes as he looked down on me, here in the shade of a weeping willow tree.

"I guess I should ask you some questions…" I trailed off as I tried to think of questions worthy of this god above me… "What is your favorite music?" I started out with an easy one. "Some classical, very little country, lots of top 40, some rock and metal…it's a pretty eclectic mix…yours?" he asked playfully, a crooked smile beginning to show on his lips.

I thought for a moment…damn, he stole all of mine…I guess that it is good that we have things in common, but I don't want it to look like I'm stealing his answers. I forced myself to answer, "Much the same, just I don't do much classical at all…but then, I do like some Enya…does that count?" I asked jokingly fighting the urge to giggle…I love some of Enya's music, but I have to be in the mood for it. "She is not necessarily classical, but yes, her music is soothing. It's good to meditate to."

I smiled at him, thinking of my next line of questioning for him. "What was your childhood like?" His eyes tightened a little bit around the corners, before completely relaxing again. "It was something I wouldn't wish on anyone…" he trailed off, obviously getting stuck in a memory.

"You don't have to talk about it." I stated gently, as much as I did want to know what happened, I didn't want him to be in pain.

"No, it is something that you will need to know if you decide you want to try a relationship with me." He replied gently, "My father married my mother when they were both very young. He was in Premed classes at the University of Alabama. He was in a fraternity. Him and mother went to a frat party, got drunk and forgot to use protection. Four months later, she found out she was pregnant. After the typical meltdown between the two of them, he asked her to marry him. Four months later, she gave birth to me. Father couldn't have been more happy, he was gonna get the family he had dreamt of; a loving wife, a son to raise to be like him, house and one point five dogs…you know, suburban bliss." He chuckled humorlessly, and I could feel the horror not far off, "She played the part so well, she had him completely convinced that she was as hopelessly in love with him as he was with her. He gave her everything she could ever want; the expensive sports cars, unlimited credit cards, unconditional love. He never knew what hit him. She talked him into having a few 'swingers' parties and after each one, he would have to hunt her down, finding her fucking one of the partygoers in his bed, on the silk sheets that he bought for her because she said that it would feel good when they made love. He told her several times that she could have whomever she wanted, so long as she just told him first and that they used protection. Silently, I think he blamed himself. He was always at the hospital, working on his residency so that he could provide for her and their son. He felt that it was completely his fault because they only made love when he was home and not exhausted. What I tried to tell him later was that there wasn't a thing he could have done to make the situation any better…she was a bitch, she was gonna to have what she was gonna have, regardless who it hurt in the process, including me. As I grew older, I occasionally walked in on her while she was servicing one of her many whores, both male and female, she wasn't too selective. Father finally kicked her out and divorced her because of me. I was only sixteen; I had walked in on her and some guy…I had wanted to go to a friend's house for the night because father was gonna be at the hospital overnight and I didn't want to be subjected to the sounds of her infidelity all night long. I had grown accustomed to walking in and her writhing under someone else's body, so I just walked up to the bed and was telling her about going to Joshua's house. He was my best friend…it sickened him that I was in such a situation when my father was not at home and was more than happy to have his father put a second bed in his large room at their plantation house. I had only gotten the words out of my mouth when she," he sneered and swallowed loudly before continuing, "reached over and grabbed me through my pants. 'Edward', she said, 'why don't you come play with us? Michael said that he finds you attractive and would like to play with you too. I have always wondered what kind of equipment you were working with, and now is as good a time as any.' I stood there rooted to the spot, unable to move. I was appalled, but I couldn't get my feet to move. I stood motionless until Michael spurred me to action by sticking his hands down the back of my pants…he was touching and probing me. I jumped when he touched me. I spat and cursed at the woman laying on the bed, playing with herself as she watched as her son was violated by a man he didn't even know! I ran from the room, from the house and jumped in my Mustang and raced over to Joshua's house. When I got to his room, I flung myself down on his bed and sobbed until he called my father. Dad came to his house immediately, leaving the hospital by telling them that there was an emergency at home that he had to attend to involving his son. He sat by me on the bed beside me across from Joshua until my sobs quieted enough that I could tell him what happened. He was enraged. He promptly called the police from his cell phone and told them that there was an intruder in his house that had just raped his son and was now having his way with his wife. I still get sick thinking about how he still was willing to try to make their relationship work. I only know the rest of this from hearing their arguments when I was home. He got there a few minutes later, and beat the shit out of Michael, leaving him bloody and unconscious on the floor of their bedroom as he began to take his anger out on her, screaming at her about what a whore she turned out to be. She was just as irate as he, maybe more so, she was yelling about how he had gotten home before she was able to get off. _Before she got off!_ Can you imagine the nerve of that woman? She was not concerned about her lover, her husband, or even her underage son! She was only concerned that she had not gotten hers! Dad slapped her and went to call his lawyer from my bedroom. He had set up an appointment with him the next day about looking into a divorce. It took a few months and a court appearance with me, where I was forced to sit in front of dozens of strangers, mainly men, to tell of what they had done to me, to get the divorce finalized. She was forced out of our lives. She received nothing from the years of marriage to my father. The only thing that she took from the entire thing was her maiden name. Father said that she was **not** to keep his last name and that he would pay as much as necessary to get it changed. Thankfully, it was only $18, but I know he would have paid thousands more to get it done and over with. For years, father turned to whiskey after returning home from work until he was passing out in his own vomit. I took care of him, putting my college on hold until he was able to get off the alcohol. He apologized daily to me for what the bitch had put me through. I kept telling him that it was not his fault and I didn't hold any ill will against him for what had happened. I think he finally realized that I meant it and he put down the alcohol and never looked back. We occasionally hear from 'mother' so that she can _try_ to get some money from either of us. To this day, she still has not gotten a penny from either of us, but father and I are closer now than we have ever been before because of everything that we went through together. Wow, sorry. That was a lot of information for you to process! I'm very sorry that you heard all of that. I guess you could say that I am still holding a grudge." He smiled a little, slightly embarrassed about the tangent that he had gone on.

I had sat through the whole thing silently, my hand pressed to my open mouth in effort to keep from screaming at the horror that was Edward's early life. God, how awful must it be to have gone through everything that he had went through!

I looked into his eyes which were red from the random tears that had spilled down his face as he shared his history with me. That was all that it took to get my tears started.

I rolled just enough to bury my head in his lap, sobbing recklessly as he rubbed my back soothingly. When I was in enough control of myself, I looked up into his eyes through my swollen ones, "No one should ever have to go through any of that, Edward! Yes, you were 16, but you were still a child!" I was becoming incredulous, "How is it that you aren't completely batshit, what with everything that happened?"

He blushed at me and the replied almost too softly for me to hear, "Haven't you noticed that I'm a bit mental? I can't seem to let you go…no matter how hard I try. Then to top it off, you happen to be the best lover that I have ever had, and that doesn't do a thing to dissuade me from wanting you for myself and myself only. I feel mad as a hatter sometimes thinking of ways to get you to want me in the same way I want you. I don't feel like we are on the same page as far as a relationship goes. It seems I'm only good enough to share your bed…but not your heart. I'm not asking for marriage, or even a deep commitment, just that you _try_ to love me. If nothing else, let me love you….I know I'm not worthy, I am not a good person Bella, I don't deserve to have you by my side…but that won't stop me from trying to be the man you deserve." As he finished the last of his own personal tirade, I felt my walls crumble and my temper flare. "What do you mean you are not a good person, Edward?" I screeched at him making him flinch.

I felt like I couldn't possibly feel any worse and shook when he proved me wrong. "I'm not a good person, Bella. If I was, the woman who gave birth to me would not have felt the need to let me be violated at such a young age. What kind of good person do I sound like? I may not wear visible scars, but my emotional ones are everywhere. I have used women just like my 'mother' did both sexes. I'm not good!" he was passionate about himself being such a bad person, his voice was trembling with the tears that I knew from personal experience, he would have to shed to begin to move on and become a healthier adult.

"Edward." I grabbed his face in both of my hands, making him face me, "You. Are. Good." I punctuated each word with a minor shake of his head. "I wouldn't waste my time with someone less than good, so that means that you _are_ worth it. No matter what happens, you will make it through all the bad shit that has happened to you in the past."

Before he could say anything else to me, thunder rumbled loudly overhead. In the heat of the moment, I had not noticed that it had gone from a really gorgeous summer day to a typical Alabama summer thunderstorm. These things had a reputation for sometimes getting ugly and fast.

Edward seemed to shake himself out of his self-depreciating mood just in time for the rain to start to fall.

The rain was falling lightly around us, slowly and gently soaking us. We didn't move, just letting the rain cleanse and purify us from the serious conversation that we had just had. He sat there stroking my hair looking into my eyes for the longest time before finally breaking the silence, "So, you have heard about my sordid childhood, what's your story, morning glory?"

I smiled at his choice of endearment and started my own tale, "Well, I was born in Forks, Washington. Population: 54, ha-ha. My father was, and still is, the chief of police in the small town. My mother was a professional housewife. They were high school sweethearts. Charlie proposed right after graduation…literally right after graduation. Smart man, Renee was still riding the high from graduating that she hastily accepted. A month later, they were married and getting the paperwork started on the house that my father lives in now. They were pretty okay happy for a while. Then about a year after they were married, Renee got pregnant. To say that Charlie was thrilled was an understatement. Renee, however, was not. As soon as I was confirmed, she went down this huge spiral of depression. She drank like a fish, did enough drugs that I should be a mentally retarded chimpanzee by now and finally, when her self-medication did not work, she went to the abortion clinic. Do you know that she paid to have the doctors kill me? Like I was just a roach that needed to be taken care of by pest control. Huh. So, the day came for her appointment, she went, and the doctor started the procedure. Apparently, she was farther along than what they thought originally and the doctor, by law, could not complete the procedure. She was pissed. She was gonna lose her slim figure because she had to carry me to term. They fought more and more often, causing her to stress out all the time. I came along six weeks early. She left town as soon as she was released. Charlie was able to obtain a divorce because no one could find Renee. They called it an uncontested divorce. Charlie was devastated…" my breathing hitched as I remembered the zombie like state that Charlie appeared like in all pictures taken from then on for about eleven years. "He only started to actually live again when I turned about twelve. He was out on the Indian reservation in La Push investigating a domestic violence call when he ran into his best friend at present. His name is William Black, but everyone calls him Billy. Billy helped him tackle and cuff the man who was accused of beating his wife. Charlie was thrilled to have help after all those years, Billy has four children, Jennifer, Jessica, Jasmine and the youngest, Jacob. With him already having three girls, Billy was able to help Charlie a lot with me when things happened with me…hell, when I turned thirteen, I started my period. I tried to tell my father, he just called Billy and asked him to take me shopping. What a joke. If it was anything that remotely required parenting, call Billy and hide. I met his son Jacob while Charlie and Billy were out fishing. We sat and watched TV until they got home. Charlie was thrilled; he saw an opportunity to combine our families…he kinda made it clear that he wanted Jacob and me to become more than just friends. Jacob asked me out and since it appeared that I had no choice, I accepted. I was only fourteen. We 'dated', for lack of a better word for three years. During those three years, he mentally, physically and sexually abused me in every way possible. Just after graduation, Jacob fulfilled my father's wishes, he proposed. I told him to go to hell, he got mad. Tried to fucking kill me. When I regained consciousness, Charlie was there asking what happened. Before I was able to tell him shit, Jacob told him that I was assaulted. I looked into far away states that night. Sooner than I could blink, I was here, looking for a job. Well, you know the rest…" I shuddered at the end of my story.

Edward was looking down at me through his eyelashes, the water dripping onto my face. I could see that even after hearing my story, he was just as enamored with me as he was before. There's no way that I could not give this man a chance after all he had done for me today; he had put a deep part of himself out there, just so that I could get to know him and had listened while I pissed and moaned about how horrible it was growing up.

We continued to sit together under the willow until the night enveloped us with its thick Southern fog, only standing to go back in to continue our discussion when we heard music coming from the outside speakers that Ali had set up last year for when they were entertaining. When only on half volume, it could be heard the entire way down the yard to where we were sitting.

I looked into his eyes and smiled. Somehow I just knew that things were about to change for the better.

**A/N: So, yeah, lots of darkness in this chapter, but it is all necessary so that it can be understood where Edward is coming from after all these years. *Don't hate me too much.* Below are links to random pictures….of Alabama's sky, among other things. Also, below that is my playlist for this chapter, just in case you wanted to know.**

**So, I hope to update again, soon. I have Wednesday and Thursday off and plan to spend both days writing until my fingertips bleed.**

**Same arrangement as before, you leave a review, you get a teaser…..**

**C'mon, make my day! *smile***

~Much Love~

RedneckAngel

I imagine this to be the closest that I can get to the bench under the weeping willow tree:

http:/us(dot)123rf (dot) com/400wm/400/400/andrejad/andrejad0801/andrejad080100132/2396027 (dot) jpg

Typical Alabama sunset:

http:/image03 (dot) webshots (dot) com/3/1/2/49/9410249yaoVkwWaEn_fs (dot) jpg

A view of our clouds from I65, lol.

http:/farm1 (dot) static (dot) flickr (dot) com/6/68499137_0ffc5a0602 (dot) jpg

Random old barn in Bama – was too pretty to pass up.

http:/bama (dot) ua (dot) edu/~ruralmed/barn_sky (dot) jpg

Another pic of the blue skies:

http:/joecrubaugh (dot) com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/AlabamaSky (dot) jpg

And by far the most beautiful Alabama sunset that I've ever seen in a picture:

http:/jansmith2911 (dot) files (dot) wordpress (dot) com/2010/02/img_5591_3 (dot) jpg

**So, I gave my media player full control again and this time I'm making a note of what is playing so that if you'd like, you can listen to these songs as well to get into my frame of mind. Also, they are all just really damn good songs, so here we go on shuffle….**

_Red – Lost~~~One of the most amazing songs ever, I get all melancholy listening to it._

_Timbaland – Carry Out_

_Carrie Underwood – Lessons Learned_

_T – Pain – I'm Sprung_

_Usher – Little Freak_

_Boys II Men – If I Ever Fall In Love Again_

_Omarion and Usher – Ice Box (remix)_

_Lily Allen – Fuck You (funniest song ever..)_

_Pink – Sober_

_Jessie James – Big Mouth (Anyone who knows me swears that this is the official soundtrack to my life…I find it humorous.) _

_Rhianna – Umbrella_

_Timbaland ft. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again_

_Boys II Men ft. Brandy – Broken Hearted_

_Madonna – Sorry_

_30 Seconds To Mars – Edge Of The Earth (Love, love, love them)_

_Carrie Underwood – Wasted_

_Usher - There Goes My Baby_

_Carrie Underwood – Twisted (Fuck if the media player don't like her today)_

_Christina Aguilera – Lift Me Up_

_A Day To Remember – Over My Head (The Fray Cover) Right before the chorus is the hottest sound ever, the growl always goes straight through me….sorry…lol._

_Sea Of Treachery – Misery Business_

_Kaci Battaglia – Crazy Possessive (an amazing song)_

_Drake – Best I Ever Had (remix)_

_Josh Groban – My December (My favorite version of the song even though Linkin Park does amazing too…it was the song that I listened to on repeat until I got through with Edward's past. It is soooooo sad, it makes me cry.)_

_Rhianna and Ne-yo – Hate That I Love You (remix)_

_Boys II Men – On Bended Knee_

_Leona Lewis – Take A Bow_

_Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland – 4 Minutes_

_Pink – It's All Your Fault_

_Cobra Starship – Good Girls Go Bad_

_Katherine McPhee – Over It_

_Pink – This Is How It Goes Down_

_Rhianna – Breakin' Dishes_


	6. You're Giving Me A Brain Hemorrhage

**A/N: Here is the next episode of **_**As Bama Turns**_**, lmao. Sorry. So, this chapter will be introducing Jacob fully into the story…there's a'trouble brewing in paradise…fair warning to my readers: this chapter has a flashback from Bella in italics just after the answering machine messages, it does include a pretty graphic rape scene, so if you are sensitive to it, I suggest skipping down past the italics when the time comes. The flashback is just so that you can see what Jacob's threats are doing to her.**

**Flickin' Disclaimer – Twilight is not owned by me; any of me…not any single one of my personalities…all 500 of them…**

**Damn….But a girl can dream – hence this chapter.**

I stepped back into the house, hand in hand with Edward. I felt closer to him now, knowing what I knew now about him.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, flying into the kitchen and skidding to a stop just millimeters from bumping into us, "You have missed about twenty phone calls since you two have been outside. I finally answered the damn phone the last time it rang and its Jacob…Bella, I normally wouldn't condone speaking to the fucker, but…he's on his way here now. I've been halfway tempted to call Em. Some of those messages that he left on the machine were just downright scary. Bella, do you want me to call Em? We have that extra bedroom, he and Esme can sleep there until this mess is over. Just listen to these messages!"

She pressed the playback button on the machine:

_Message 1 – "Bella, this is Jacob, call me back." ~__**Beep**_

_Message 2 – "Bella, hey. I guess you know who this is. Call me back. I should be in your area by midnight tonight. I'm driving the whole way. No stops." __**~Beep**_

_Message 3 – "Bella. Fuck! Call me. I'm getting pissed. I don't know why you are ignoring me." __**~Beep**_

_Message 4 – "Goddamnit Bella! Answer this fucking phone! Right. The. Fuck. Now!" __**~Beep**_

_Message 5 – Bella. For real. When I get there, I will fucking strangle you. You won't fucking do this to me again. I'm not some lovesick little fucking puppy. Are you so ready for death that you want to sit there and continue to be a stupid fucking cunt? Answer me goddamnit!" __**~Beep**_

_Message 6 – (in a really calm voice) - Bella, I've got my knife on me. I stopped a little while ago…I saw this sign on the side of the road in Tennessee at some little hick store: _Knife sharpening, $25. Skin anything in seconds_. Do you hear me, Bella? I'm gonna skin you. Then I'm gonna fuck you while you bleed to death…I'm gonna enjoy this so much…mmm, I'm getting hard just thinking of it. You won't even have to get wet for me, but I know you will. Either you will get wet, or your blood will work as an appropriate lube for my dick….either way, I don't really care…"_

I couldn't listen to the rest of the messages, I quickly pressed the stop button, bent over and threw up noisily into the trash can.

My past was coming back to bite me in the ass and I was scared to death. I was mad as hell, but more afraid that Alice, Rose and especially Edward would try to get in the middle of it and get hurt. Jacob could be a force to be reckoned with when he got started. If he ever got to this point, there was no stopping him.

_I walked into the house after studying for my SATs with Erik. Charlie wasn't home, but I wasn't worried. Jacob told me he was off on a fishing trip with some of the guys from the res._

_Jacob was standing in my room, twisting a knife back and forth in his hand, admiring the glint from the lights on the blade. "You said you were studying with a friend from school. Bella. That was a dick. There's no way that you two were _just_ studying. You don't listen too well, do you Bella? I told you that if you ever fuck around on me, I will fucking kill the bastard, then hurt you until you remember that you. are. mine. Mine! Not anyone else's! Now I will deal with Erik later, tonight, you are mine. Mine!" he was ranting, and I was terrified._

_He stepped closer to me, grabbing me by the shirt and threw me to the bed. I was officially a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. I couldn't move. I stayed completely still as he used his knife to cut my shorts up the sides on both legs, straight through the elastic waistband._

_I had never felt more exposed and threatened in my life as I lay there, lying on the bed, not stopping him from running the sharp blade against my bare skin. _

_He snatched my panties away, roughly thrusting his fingers into me, violating me, making my stomach flip. He brought his fingers up to his face, smelling them – in search of the scent of another man on me. I knew that he would do this; God knows, he'd done it before._

"_I knew it!" he shrieked, already out of his mind, "I can smell him on you Bella! Why do you continue to treat me like shit? I give you everything! I do everything you want me to do! I go on being the best fucking boyfriend on the planet and you fucking cheat on me!"_

_His eyes were wild. His chest rose and fell heavily with his panting._

_He harshly ripped my shirt from me, then grabbed my right ankle, yanking me down the bed closer to him. His erection was straining against his jersey shorts, I knew I was about to be in for a long night._

"_You will learn to respect me! You _will_ learn to treat me the same way I treat you! You will learn that you are __**MINE**__! Mine only! No one will touch this pussy but me!" he was shrieking again. His cheese had completely slipped from the cracker this time._

_He dropped his shorts, nothing underneath and launched himself onto the bed in between my legs. In one sharp movement, he entered me, hurting me so badly. I was not wet in the slightest, his intrusion ripped me open, I felt the blood flow freely. He took the blood for something else, I was sure, because he began thrusting in earnest now._

_I was thrashing under him, screaming in pain. Each thrust brought more and more pain to the forefront of my mind, my screams becoming louder._

_With each violent thrust, an agonized cry ripped itself from my chest; the bed behind my head was soaked with my tears._

_Why wasn't Charlie back yet?_

_His groans became louder and more insistent, my torture was almost over. He was about to cum._

"_Bella, who do you belong to?" he growled at me, my tears exciting him._

_I couldn't answer him; I was in far too much pain to make my mind cooperate and make words, much less anything that would make sense._

"_Bitch!" he snarled, "I said who do you belong to?" He was thrusting harder now, ripping me farther open. I screamed again in anguish. I thought I couldn't be in more torture than what I was currently in…I was wrong._

"_Still thinking about Erik, I see. Well, when you see this, you will remember that it is ME that you belong to!" he roared at me, swiping the knife across the skin at the juncture of my neck and shoulder._

_I screamed again, wanting to just die. If I died, he would never hurt me again. He couldn't touch me then._

"_Bleed!" he shouted, as he came, "Bitch, Bleed! Bleed the thoughts of Erik from you. You will never think of him again. I swear bitch, if I even get the idea that you are with someone else ever again, I will kill the bastard while you watch. Then I will get you again, if you thought this was something, just wait until next time."_

_I grabbed some superglue from my desk and glued the cut at the base of my throat shut after he left to begin the healing process. My father thought I was the world's clumsiest thing ever, I was always buying more superglue under the pretense of gluing my figurines back together _again_. _

_For the next couple of days, I wore superabsorbent pads to catch the blood from my violation. I was so embarrassed that it had happened, I was never able to go to the cops. My father would have had a stroke. Hell, he loved Jacob like a son, he probably would have spent hours telling me how it is not proper for me to give the guy the wrong impression. Of course, it would be my fault._

_I hated my life so much at that time that I went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and grabbed the bottle of Morphine tablets from my most recent broken bone. I stood at the mirror, taking pill after pill after pill, with water from the tap until I lost consciousness. I awoke to Charlie bent over me, crying openly._

_I was at the hospital, in a private room. As I opened my eyes, Charlie swiped angrily at his eyes._

"_What the hell were you thinking Bells? Taking all those pills! You should consider yourself so lucky that Jake had come by to see you. You might have been dead by the time I got home! You are gonna go see a therapist as soon as they release you. They pumped your stomach. Thirty pills, Bells! Thirty! What am I doing wrong with you?" his anger was short-lived, before he could completely finish his tirade, he was sobbing in earnest._

"_Dad, this is not your fault…" I sighed, "this is 100% on me."_

_I had gone to see a therapist for a few months…he was a quack. His office was on the res. To some degree, he was related to Jacob. Mr. Clearwater was an angry man. I eventually talked him into believing that it was the stress from graduation which was looming in my really near future that had caused me to snap. He had made it quite clear that he knew of Jacob's treatment of me, that I was not doing his cousin right and that I needed to grow the fuck up to become the wife to Jacob that I was to be._

_I made a 'speedy recovery', promptly quitting my therapy sessions._

I was snapped back to the present by the ringing of the phone. Alice made a dive for it, only missing it by a second.

I snatched the phone up, pressing it to my ear and shoving my balled up fist to my mouth to stifle the scream that had built up in my chest. My heart was beating furiously as I managed to croak out a strangled, "Hello?"

"Ah, so she finally answers. Did you have fun with your _boyfriend_ Edward Masen?" came the deadly voice on the other end, pleased when I sucked in a shocked breath. How did he find out about Edward?

"I thought you were a filthy butch now. I had to look into it. The Wetumpka Herald's website was too accommodating with their pictures of you and _Masen_," he sneered, "on the dance floor on the closing night at that redneck bar…Indigo Lizard, or some shit like that. You looked pretty straight to me, Bella. You had your hands all over him…he had his hands all over the ass that belongs to _me_! I don't take too kindly to other men touching my shit. And darling, you are shit. My shit! I'm crossing over the Alabama state lines right now. I should be there in about two hours, Bella. I meant what I said on that machine! I will skin you when I get there. I will enjoy peeling the skin from you like an overripe tomato. I think, after you're dead, I'm gonna drink some of your blood. Sounds like a good idea to me." By now, he was purring at me, thrilled with the idea of my demise by his hands.

"Jacob! You cannot come here! I don't wanna see you! Why can't you just leave me alone?" I shouted into the phone, "Please, just turn around and go home to Billy. Please, Jacob, I'm beggin' you. Please just leave me alone!"

I was damn near hysterical while I listened to him laugh madly on the other end of the line, "Bella, why can't you understand? It's too late…I'm almost there. I can already taste your bloody cunt now. If you ain't gonna be with me, you ain't gonna be with nobody! I'm gonna take mad pleasure in killing you, you fucking whore."

He was eerily calm. This was no longer the Jacob that I had once loved; this was officially now the man I feared.

But, before I could say anything else, Alice finally dove at the phone, wrestling it from my grasp before putting it to her ear. "Jacob Black…I am tellin' you now, you will NEVER touch Bella!" Alice seethed into the phone that she was clutching. Rose was standing behind her with her arms around Alice's waist pulling her back from the phone. I would have found it humorous, if it were not my best friend and the bane of my existence fighting over me.

I could hear plain as day Jacob's voice on the other end of the line, "I'm already on my way down to your little hick town. I am taking pieces of Bella back with me and there is nothing that you or your dyke girlfriend can do about it. She is _MINE_!" His voice was a dark growl and I knew, from past experience, that he was close to violence.

When he got here, I would have to meet him alone. I will be damned if I let that fucker get his hands on **any** of the people near and dear to my heart. I snapped my attention back to Alice as she slammed the phone down. She whirled to face me, "Bella, you will do no such thing! You will _not_ be goin' to meet him alone! We all will go with you and Emmett will bring his gun and cuffs. You will not be alone with him for a second, if not Rose and I, Edward will be there with you, isn't that right?"

She eyed Edward suspiciously, who appeared to not have taken a breath since I had answered the phone. He took a much needed deep breath to steady himself, "Yes, Bella, I won't be leavin' your side. I swear that son of a bitch will not lay a finger on you."

Then, he said quietly, as if to himself, "Even if I have to kill him."

I shook violently, sobs wrenching themselves from my chest, "Edward, please. You mean far too much to me to let somethin' happen to you. Please just go home." "Bella," he said, voice trembling with rage, "did you not listen to me when I continuously tell you how much I love you? I would never be able to sleep at night, knowin' that the stupid boy hurt you when there was somethin' I could have done about it."

I looked into his eyes trying to convey the level of which I didn't want him to get hurt. I saw the tears that were building, trying my damndest to not push myself into his chest and refuse to move.

Finally, I was able to cry, and cry I did. I ended up curled up on Edward's lap on the couch, listening to Alice rant over the phone to Emmett.

Of course, Em was more than happy to stay over for a few nights to become my personal bodyguard. He had even went so far as to call Carlisle to get Alice and myself excused from work until further notice because of a 'potentially life threatening situation' going on at the house. When Carlisle asked what was going on, Em quietly explained that both Alice and I had contracted the Swine Flu and were extraordinarily contagious. We were actually so contagious that Em had come down with it as well…he had a fellow police officer covering his shift; James.

Everything was quickly falling into place. Em brought his and Esme's things, throwing them into the next room without a second thought.

No one thought anything about it when I slid from Edward's lap to Em's. Finally, being in Em's lap for a while, I fell into a troubled sleep.

In my dreams, Jacob was chasing me down, tying me up and was forcing me to watch him skin Edward alive.

I awoke in a start, the echoes of Edward's bloodcurdling screams still ringing in my ears. "It's okay Bell, go back to sleep. No one is gonna hurt you darlin'. We are here to protect you." Em whispered soothingly.

I looked around, still in a panic, worrying to death that Edward wouldn't be here in the room with us. The dream felt so terribly real that I had to convince myself that he was still okay and breathing.

He was still sitting beside us, completely still, his face drawn up in pain. His eyes darted worriedly over me.

"Was I talkin' in my sleep again, Em?" I asked quietly, embarrassment flooding my face with blood. It was bad enough that I had to be subjected to the dream, I didn't want to taint anyone else with that poison.

"Yeah," he chuckled humorlessly, "it sounded like you were havin' one hell of a nightmare, hun. Are you okay? You do understand that we will not let anything happen to either you _or_ Edward. Ever since you started screamin' for Jacob to leave Edward alone, to kill you instead, Edward has looked like he is bein' burnt alive. I feel really bad for the guy, I know he wants to be the one to comfort and reassure you right now, but I couldn't honestly let you go, knowin' what hell you were goin' through in your mind; the one place you should have been safe. Even though, Bella, there's somethin' that you were talkin' about in your sleep, I need to ask you about it." He trailed off, looking into my face seriously, a rarity for Emmett, "In your sleep, you were sayin', to Jacob, I assume, that he should hurt you instead because it wouldn't be the first time. Is that true? I can arrest him…if you want me to."

I smiled sleepily at him, just shaking my head. I was pretty certain that things would go okay, Jacob would see that I was staying here and he would leave.

Emmett chuckled and then said to himself, "Or I can just invite him in, and shoot him when he comes across the threshold. Breakin' and enterin'. Bella was in fear for her life. I'm a cop. They would believe us anyways."

I laughed at his reasoning, leave it to Emmett to make me feel better about possibly getting killed.

My improving mood took a very serious turn for the worse when I heard the distinct sound of Jacob's engine in the front yard. I jumped quickly from Emmett's chest and leapt to the door, looking out around the edge of the curtain.

I saw Jacob's old, beat up Volkswagen Rabbit sitting idle in the grass out front yard and lost it, vomiting in the umbrella holder positioned at the front door.

After my heaves stopped, I wiped my mouth with the inside of my shirt and turned to all of my friends, who now looked extraordinarily fragile, "Fuck! He's really here. Jacob is sittin' out front. God. Ya'll, I'm scared."

Tears began to make my vision swim and my knees wobbled. In a flash, Edward was beside me, offering me his support. He waited patiently by the door until he heard the heavy pounding on the thick wood. He braced me against Alice who was now standing on my other side and opened the door.

"Hello Jacob." His voice was deadly quiet. I tried to stop the rolling of my stomach and succeeded until Jacob lunged at Edward.

**A/N: So, yeah, large cliffie. I had to end it there…just for dramatic purposes.**

**So, I'm expecting MAJOR violence for the next chapter…I will be writing it extraordinarily pissed off. The new bitch at work is an effin' hoor. She only worked for like a freakin' month before quitting last night. Thing is – she called roughly an hour before her shift started…and she was relieving **_**me**_**. Needless to say, I was supposed to get off work at 11pm, didn't actually leave the hotel until 12:45, and came back after the night audit at 2:45am, so that my manager could go home and rest. I left work **_**again**_** at 7am, went home, went to bed and am now back here at 3pm to 11pm. FML. Well, I am still super-pissed and will put my violent tendencies to good use and blow something in the story up, lmao.**

**Hope you like this chapter….if not, tell me what I'm screwing up. If you like it, tell me what I'm doing right….teasers still for the ones who review.**

_**P.S. – **__**Jbrosr4ever, darlin' you got something a little backwards…..I don't own you, darlin'. You completely possess me from head to toes. ;) Love ya hun! I always get **_**superexcited**_** to see that you popped up in my mailbox! :D *Muah!***_

**So, I don't know if you care about playlists, but if you do, here is the one for this chapter:**

**30 Seconds To Mars – The Fantasy**

**Madonna – Dress You Up**

**30 Seconds To Mars – Hurricane (the song that I can't stop listening to in my car….it is completely a Twilight song….it explains the Cullens so much. If you have never heard it, I whole-heartedly recommend it. It's Carlisle's song all over the place.)**

**Red – Already Over**

**Bloodhound Gang – Along Comes Mary (Apparently, my MediaPlayer has a sense of humor – random Bloodhound Gang thrown into the mix.)**

**Jesse McCartney – Oxygen**

**Everything But The Girl – Missing**

**Frankie J – Don't Wanna Try**

**Lily Allen – The Fear**

**There For Tomorrow – Icebox (Omarion Cover)**

**The Script – Fall For Anything**

**Kings Of Leon – Closer**

**30 Seconds To Mars – Oblivion (Wow, it seems that my Player likes 30 Seconds To Mars this time rather than Carrie Underwood. Hmmmm…)**

**Madonna – Papa Don't Preach**

**Uncle Kracker – You Make Me Smile (Jbrosr4ever, you got a dedication sweetheart! *heart*)**

**The Pussycat Dolls – Magic**

**Raheem – The Most Beautiful Girl In The World**

**Christina Aguilera – Impossible**

**Rhianna – Sexuality**

**Pink – Dear Mr. President (I can't listen to this song without bawling like a two year old)**

**The Script – Breakeven**

**James Blunt – Cry**

**Justin Timberlake – My Love**

**Lindsay Buckingham – Trouble**

**The Pussycat Dolls – Taking Over The World**

**Low Shoulder – Through The Trees (just beautiful)**

**Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats**

**Peter Cetera – Don't Want To Live Without You**

**Paramore – Conspiracy**

**Drake ft. Timbaland – Say Something**

**Chicago – What Kind Of Man Would I Be**

**Red – Take It All Away**

**Pink – U + Ur Hand**

**Hot Rod Circuit – Gin And Juice**

**Pink – There You Go**

**Further Seems Forever – Bye Bye Bye (*N SYNC cover)**

**Pink – So What (The Player likes Pink too….)**

**Kris Allen – No Boundaries**

**Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake – Dance Tonight**

**One Republic – Someone To Save You**

**Natalie – Where Your Heart Remains**

**Rhianna – The Last Song**

**Rhianna – Push Up On Me**


	7. Shot To The Head

**A/N: So, hi all! I'm going to try to get to updating sooner than what I had originally. This chapter is shorter than the other ones have been simply because it fit right to cut it off there. Also, Bella spends a lot of her time in and out of it because of pain meds…..I smell an outtake coming soon….**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Seraquil or Oxycontin….**_**FUZZY-BUNNY-FEET! (More below)**_

I stood, frozen in horror, as Jacob lunged for Edward, knocking him backwards into the living room.

Alice held me tight and very close to her, guiding me backwards, away from the wild scuffle.

"GOD DAMNIT!" Emmett shouted, jumping to his feet, lumbering toward the mass of tangled limbs that were still moving violently, trying desperately to gain the upper hand. He grappled with Jacob, using brute force to tear Jacob away from Edward and press his face into the plush carpeting.

Jacob struggled, getting an amazing case of carpet burn on his cheeks from his thrashing. "Motherfucking redneck piece of granite!" he huffed, still struggling, "Get the fuck off of me! This don't involve you and it's gonna stay that way unless you don't get. the. fuck. offa. me! Just let me talk to Bella and no one else is gonna get hurt."

Emmett shoved his face harder into the carpet, rubbing off some extra skin, leaving the freshly scoured flesh bleeding lightly. For added leverage, he had his left knee pressed firmly into Jacob's back while the other straddled his waist. "I don't fuckin' think so dumbass. If you want Bell, you got to go through me and Edward first. Plus, I think you are the one gettin' fucked up here, so please, feel free to continue to fuck yourself up more…I'm rather enjoyin' myself." For emphasis, he bounced a few good times on the knee that was embedding Jacob into the carpet.

"You big, dumb fuck." Jacob growled viciously, "You don't seem to get that I _will_ get what I came here for. Blood. More specifically, **her** blood. There ain't no deity out there that will stop me."

Jacob's determination just added fuel to his fire, and he wrenched himself out from under Emmett, heading directly for me, knife out.

Instinctively, I pushed Alice behind my back, unwilling to let her get herself hurt for my stupid past mistakes. I leaned toward Jacob, fists balled into a high/low defensive position. My fighting training was kickin in and I found myself trembling in anticipation of the snaps his bones would make as my body broke them, the wetness of his blood as it pours over my skin.

I found myself smiling coldly at him as he charged me.

Emmett was still scrambling to get up from the floor. Edward was continuing to try to get himself righted after falling backwards over the couch. Rose was flying around the house trying desperately to find a weapon, at this point in time, she wasn't gonna be picky...she was already in the kitchen, getting her hands on the heaviest cast iron skillet that she possessed. Esme was in the downstairs office on the phone with the police. Alice was staring vacantly at the scene playing out around her; it almost was as if she was watching a movie.

"I've waited two whole years to do this, Bella, and nothing is gonna stop me," Jacob ground out at me, absentmindedly wiping the blood from his face as he reached me.

I snapped my closed fist out to his face, finding sick satisfaction as his cheekbone broke with a resounding crunch and the skin immediately started to turn a light purple color. My lower hand struck out directly after the other one, landing a fierce hit to his kidney region.

As my second blow landed, I felt searing pain in my side and an immediate rush of warmth to the area. I looked down to see the knife sticking out from me at an odd angle and my blood oozing from around the handle of the knife.

Jacob stood still for only a moment before jabbing his hand out to remove his weapon, but it was exactly long enough for several things to happen at once; Alice screamed, Emmett charged Jacob again tackling him to the ground before he was able to get his hand on the knife still sticking from my skin, Rose was back with the skillet and landed a very heavy hit to the side of Jacob's head as soon as Emmett had him on the ground momentarily knocking him out, I fell to my knees and Edward hurdled everyone else, sliding like a baseball player to my side, removing the knife from my side and applying pressure to the wound.

"Esme!" Edward called loudly, "Call an ambulance! Bella's been stabbed!" Tears were furiously streaking down his cheeks while he held me still, pressing roughly into my side, whispering apologies for not getting to me sooner.

Jacob came to with Emmett cuffing his hands behind him, refusing to allow him to get to his feet. Jacob was howling on the floor. He was making no sense as he yowled; speaking of being upset that he didn't know where his knife was, even more upsetting was the fact that he had not been able to kill me.

He looked into my eyes and wailed balefully.

Even with Edward trying to immobilize me, I struggled with him to be able to stand on my own two feet. Finally, he gave in, allowing me to stand over Jacob.

Sirens were screaming ever closer, Edward knew that I only had a few, precious moments to speak to Jacob before they took him away.

I painfully bent over, grabbing his chin. Looking into his black eyes, I said with a scary level of strength in my voice, "Jacob, I really hope that it was a good for you as it was for me, because _that_ will be the last time you _ever_ fuckin' lay a hand on me ever again. Commit it to memory, asshole." I spat in his face and allowed Edward to pull me, gasping from the pain, to standing only slightly hunched over.

We walked out the front door, into the soft, grassy lawn, just as an ambulance and several police cruisers skid to a halt in the grass, tearing up Rose's lawn.

She was gonna have a shit fit when she saw it.

The EMTs scrambled from the ambulance, some stopping at me and others zooming past me into the house to check for other injuries.

Edward shouted, "Please, she is the only one that you need to concern yourselves with, she's been stabbed. There's another person inside who has been beaten, but he is the perpetrator, and he will live. She on the other hand, I don't know about. I don't know if her injuries are life threatenin'. She could have internal bleedin'...you gotta take care of her. _Please_," he whispered brokenly.

The EMT in charge moved Edward's hand from my side, starting the rush of blood down my side anew. "Sir, are you her family?" he asked gently applying pressure again. "No," Edward replied, still sounding very broken. "Then sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to go back in the house and wait or go ahead on the hospital to wait for her. Only family members are allowed to ride in the ambulance with the victim."

My vision had been getting fuzzy in random intervals until he told Edward that he couldn't go with me, everything became suddenly crystal clear. "NO!" I screamed, "He has to go with me! If he don't go, I won't either. You can just stitch me up in the livin' room! It's just a flesh wound..." My heart rate had shot through the roof and I knew better than that. When I was in my classes, I was told several times that if I were to ever be stabbed or shot, that I was to keep my heart rate down to slow the flow of blood. If I was unable to get my heart rate down, I would bleed out more quickly.

"Miss," the EMT chided, "if he is not your family, then I cannot, by law let him ride in the ambulance. He can take another car if he would like to meet us there."

I sobbed into Edward's chest, "But, we are engaged to be married! He is the closest thing to family I got down here; _please_ can he ride with me? I won't go without him."

I heard Edward suck in a breath and hold it, most likely out of shock that we had just gone from friends with benefits to not dating individuals to engaged in a very short matter of a few days. I chuckled humorlessly at the thought.

"Is this true, sir?" the EMT asked Edward, meeting him eye to eye. "Yes, sir," Edward whispered, "Can we please just get her to the hospital? I've never been more afraid for her."

I angled my face up to him, "We will talk about this later, baby," I whispered. He nodded sharply once to let me know that he not only heard me but that he agreed.

The next few hours went by in a blur.

I was quickly taken to the ambulance, strapped down to a rolling gurney. They gave me shots of painkillers. Edward asked every time they did something, explaining that his father was Doctor Edward Masen Senior and that he was knowledgeable of medicines and the practices. He just wanted to make sure of what they were giving me. He also requested that I be taken to his father's hospital. He was on duty tonight and Edward wanted his father to be the one to treat me.

I only understood bits and pieces of the discussions going on around me. I knew that they had given me a large dose of Oxycontin for pain and a shot of Seraquil to sedate me. The EMTs thought that no major damage had been done, no major arteries, muscles or organs had been hit. I was thankful for this. They were almost 100% sure that I would only require stitches and a couple of prescriptions.

I had also overheard what was going on at home with Jacob. When the cops had come in to take him into custody, he had gone completely deranged, snapping the handcuffs holding him in place. He charged a few of the cops and then Alice before the cops took him down. They had shot him once in the leg, and tasered him by four different taser guns before he finally hit the ground. They had mentioned some kind of mental illness, a kind of dementia brought about caused by rage, that had turned him into Superman; almost impossible to be brought down. Right now, they were taking him downtown to book him. He would immediately be taken to jail.

The police were toying with the idea of putting Jacob into a cell with Alice's step-brother, Laurent. He was in for marijuana trafficking; somewhere in the vicinity of 750 pounds were found in his Escalade.

Alice had told me about him before. We all smoked on occasion, most gotten from Laurent. He was happy to be in jail. He never denied that it was his, but he still held on to the story that he had just bought it and was taking it home for his personal use.

He had been in the United States Marine Corps. His brigade was deployed to Afghanistan and had spent 16 months over there before receiving an honorable discharge for medical reasons. He had been bitten by a camel spider that had done major nerve damage. He was highly suspicious of any and all medication deciding rather than take the narcotics that his doctor had prescribed him, to smoke marijuana to ease the pain that he continued to feel.

The nerves in his leg had sustained such serious damage that they were in a constant state of trying to repair themselves, rendering Laurent in constant pain. Laurent was actually in the midst of obtaining a prescription for marijuana from his doctor. When he was able to obtain that script, he would be free to go.

The officers were toying with the idea of him and Jacob in the same cell after telling Laurent of Jacob's attempt of bodily harm to his sister. They rationalized that they would look the other way as Laurent was given the okay to take up for his sister.

That's one thing I love about living here in the south; no matter who you are, if you are considered family by any family here, you are under that family's protection. Normally, the police would not get involved in families taking up for their own...so long as no one got badly hurt or killed.

By the time I was beginning to come out of my Oxycontin-induced haze, I was staring dumbly at Dr. Masen. He was just as beautiful as his son, just a more mature version. If I hadn't have known better, I would have thought that Dr. Masen had given birth to Edward alone, he was a spitting image of him through and through.

Dr. Masen was smiling kindly at me, "Isabella? Can you hear me, darlin'?"

I moved my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I swallowed, then tried again, this time with success, "Yes, Dr. Masen. Please call me Bella. I can hear you. Takin' the risk of soundin' like a baby, I'm startin' to feel my side again, and it hurts. I don't know if it's time for more medication or not, but I really need somethin'." I was starting to cry.

"Bella, please, just calm down." he soothed, "You have burnt through the dose that the EMT had given you, the new dose is on its way now. I have to administer that dose before I can stitch your side up, otherwise, it will hurt worse than what it has up to present. For the moment, we have medical-grade superglue holding the skin together until your Oxycontin can come up from the pharmacy." "Okay," I agreed through clenched teeth. I rationalized that this hurt worse than I would imagine natural childbirth would.

By the time the medication came in, I was doubled over, panting and clutching wildly at my side. The pressure seemed to help some and came as a large relief to me. Edward, on the other hand, had not moved from my side since he had gotten in the ambulance with me.

Now, he sat rigidly at my side, holding my hand as I attempted to squeeze his to pieces. He had been having sporadic conversations with his father that would immediately cease when I would start howling in pain. His eyes retained the feral light from his earlier fight with Jacob, but only became wilder as the pain in my body worsened.

"Okay, Bella," Dr. Masen said in a whoosh, "I'm giving you the shot right now, please take a large breath in..." I wasn't a sissy with needles, so I didn't understand why he was asking me to breathe until I took in a large breath and felt a sudden and rapid succession of sticks and pinches in my wound.

I let the held breath out in a keen, "Fuck, Dr. Masen! That fuckin' hurts! What in hell do you think you're doin'? Openin' the wound?" My back was arching from the pain. I desperately wanted to get my boo-boo away from the sadist with the needle. My side officially felt like someone was holding an open flame to the skin. I screamed as the fire consumed the nerves at the opening.

"Father!", Edward growled, "Is it necessary to give her the shot directly into the wound?" "Son, you know if it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't do it. The pain medication will take effect more quickly if it is administered into the wound. If I just give it to her by IV, it will take longer for her body to respond to it, takin' longer for me to be able to get her sewn up. Please have faith in me, son. You know I would never intentionally hurt anyone; much less, someone you felt so strongly about."

I felt my consciousness falling away from me, only catching portions of what was going on around me, but woke up what seemed only seconds later to feel Dr. Masen tugging on the last stitch and wiping some sticky dark fluid over the new stitches.

"Now, son," he started, in full doctor mode now, "she doesn't need to be doin' anything _strenuous_." He smiled, "And she will need help gettin' bathed and dressed. If you two plan on becomin' intimate, you must do so in a way that will not put stress or pressure on the stitches. If it heals like I think it will, she will be able to get them removed in roughly two to three weeks. Until then, I strongly recommend oral stimulation for her, if you two do choose that path. Other than that, she's ready to be discharged. Will you be takin' her home?"

I lolled my head over in Edward's direction to see his response. He was blushing furiously, "I think it would be best if I took her to my house. Her place will probably stress her out for awhile, what with all the memories that are there. I will talk to her about it in the car. Do you need her to sign the discharge papers, or can I? I think that she's still kinda out of it."

"Since you two are," Dr. Masen cleared his throat, but I could still hear the disbelieving smile through his words, "_engaged_, yes son, you can sign the papers. I suggest you two get that little matter straightened out soon." "I plan on it, as soon as she is willing and able to stay alert long enough for us to talk." came Edward's reply.

I vaguely heard the ruffle of pen on paper as Edward signed the paperwork for my release and felt light and fluffy as he carried me out to his car. Apparently, Alice and Rose had carpooled here long enough to drop his car off. Edward had reassured me that they had wanted to stay, but Rose was adamant that she needed to get the house as Jacob free as she could so that when the time came when I decided to return home that I could do so without any constant reminders of him.

He spoke to me in soothing tones until we got to the nearest 24 hour Walgreens pharmacy to get my scripts filled. He only left me alone long enough to go inside and pay for them. Dr. Masen had called ahead so that they would be filled by the time we got there. He was not quite sure that the pain meds would stick around in my system long enough for me to remain oblivious to the pain for any significant period of time.

I only somewhat remember the drive from Walgreens to his house, and did not remember anything about how we got into the house.

I lost consciousness again shortly after I felt myself being placed gently onto the softest mattress that I had ever been on in my life.

My dreams were muddled and I could only assume that I was replaying the attack over and over again. I awoke several times by Edward's cool hands on my face and neck, assuring me that I was okay, that Jacob was nowhere near me, and that he would not leave my side for anything, aside from anything that would directly help me out.

I awoke later on, fully alert and cringing at a dull throbbing in my side. Edward was not beside me as he had promised me. I sat up rather quick and had to immediately lay back down due to the sudden vertigo that I was experiencing. I groaned, throwing my arm over my eyes.

I felt the mattress sink in slightly beside me, alerting me that Edward was now back by my side.

"Are you awake, darlin'?" he asked quietly in my ear. "I left long enough to get your medication. You are an hour overdue for it...but I couldn't get you to wake up for it for nothin'. I figured that your body was healin' itself, so I let you sleep instead of forcin' you awake. Here, love, take these."

He supported my back to help me into an upright position to take the bitter pills with some sweet tea. Laying me gently back down, he said the words that set my whole world aflame.

"Darlin', we need to talk."

**A/N: So, don't hate me…..hahahaha.**

**Yeah, Edward and Bella have quite a few things to work out now, don't they? I will be working on an outtake totally EPOV for this chapter – put me on author alert and you will receive the update….the outtakes for this story will be under the title '**_**The Devil Is In The Outtakes'**_** hahahaha, I know, totally original name for it, right?**

**Anywho, please review – Edward loves it when you do and he's been buggin' me about lack of reviews….gah! Reviews get teasers…*wink***

**~Much Love~**

**RedneckAngel**


	8. Southern Blues

**A/N: So, here's another update, I'm writing the beginning part of this on a slow Sunday at work…looking out the front doors at what looks to be a fucking hellacious storm that is currently brewing up. Here's to saving often and not losing content because of lightening. :P**

**This chapter will see the much anticipated discussion between Edward and Bella…are they engaged? Are they not? Will Lassie ever find Timmy?...I mean…wait. Sorry, ha-ha. Also, Edward will woo Bella with his mad piano skills….let me know how I do…especially with the song choice. **_**BTW: I'm not into condoning the pirating of music, but if you don't have Say When by The Fray, download the damn thing so that you can listen to it when the time is right for it…..I think it makes the scene magical-ish.**_** ;)**

**Disclaimer: Any recognizable quotes, characters, places, situations and songs belong to their own respective owners. Do not own Twilight – **_**Drat! Foiled again!**_** Bring on the romance/angsty/lemony goodness! **

I sat on the edge of his bed looking at my feet. I had been wringing my hands miserably for the past twenty minutes while I waited for him to say something.

I looked up at him, meeting his eyes for the first time since he said we needed to talk. My breath caught in my throat as soon as I saw that the reason that he had not said anything is because he had been crying.

I shook myself out of my self-imposed purgatory, kneeling before him on the bed and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, fiercely holding him to me so that he could cry it out.

After several minutes of savage sobs wracking his body, he pulled in a deep breath to steady himself and pushed back from me slightly.

"I'm very sorry for losin' it there for a bit," he said, still sniffling, "I was just so scared when he stabbed you, Bella. I thought he had killed you. Then you were bleedin', but otherwise okay and it was all I could do to get to you. I wanted to just let you stand there while I ripped his throat out. I have never been more terrified for someone to see my true nature before."

"I thought I would be okay with just beatin' the shit out of him, but then he got away from me. He just kept goin' after you…I didn't want you to get hurt. There was just so much blood, I just knew that he had hit somethin' major and you were gonna die." His shoulders shuddered at the memory of the attack, "Then they weren't gonna let me go with you and I just couldn't stand not knowin' if you were gonna live. I wanted to be with you as they were treatin' you. He said no, then you said…," he looked at me with a slightly shocked expression, "you said that we were engaged. I couldn't say anythang. I was speechless. What do you call yourself doin'?"

"Well," I started, my voice shaking and squeaky. I was so terrified that he was going to kick me out after we had our talk. I wanted to stay here in his room to recuperate. Hell, at this point, I kinda wanted to stay here even after I got better.

My inner demons were at war with each other.

"I really don't have an excuse to use you the way that I did; my only defense is that I quite desperately wanted you with me. I meant it when I told you that you mean far too much to me for me to stand there and let you get hurt." I bowed my head humbly, "I go crazy when I'm not around you…with everythang that happened, and it only made it worse. I want you…so bad…all the time,"

I was struggling for words, not wanting to embarrass myself more than I had already done, "honestly, it's embarrassin'. This," I motioned between us, "is just not logical. I should not be feelin' the way that I feel for you. I shouldn't be fightin' myself every time you leave. I fight with myself all the time, Edward. I fight to not feel this strongly for you. I fight to not tell you I love you every time you're near me. I'm fightin' right now with myself to quit feelin' sad that we are not actually engaged! What in the hell is wrong with me?"

I had my arms wrapped tightly around my waist, trying to hold myself together. I knew that he claimed to love me, but seriously, he had just seen my ex try to fucking kill me! Hell, my ex had just tried to kill him!

I didn't hear anything come from him long enough that I had to look up into his face; I had thought that he had just up and left.

When my eyes met his, his face lit up. He smiled at me, reaching down for my hand and pulling me to sit beside him on the bed. "Bella. Stop. There's nothin' wrong with you. Don't you see? It's what I want too. I think that we must be the biggest dumbasses in the entire world right now!" he immediately was retracing his steps as he saw my face begin to crumble – obviously, he was trying to let me down easy. "Not that I would have it any other way! Bella, I dream about bein' with you all the time! I sit and daydream like a sissy-girl all the time about what it would be like to wake up next to you!"

I giggled a little bit about the sissy-girl comment, "It may not be pleasant to wake up next to me every morning. I have really horrid mornin' breath. You can ask Alice; if I don't go and instantly brush my teeth, she can't stand to be in the same room with me. Granted, she says that about anyone who stays overnight at the house, and I've never smelled my own breath in the mornin', but it never hurts to be careful. Ha-ha."

He looked at me incredulously and laughed; the sound soothed my soul and gave me what felt like false hope. I knew better than to think that everything was going to be okay. The last time I said that everything was going to be okay; Jacob showed up, stabbed me and tussled with my boyfriend; if I could even call him that.

We sat and laughed for several minutes; my side ended up feeling like it was gonna split in two. "So. We got off topic there. So, what are we?" he asked quietly, "I know how I feel about you, how you make me feel and I know what I want to do about it. Timin' and the rest is up to you."

"You know I want to be with you too, Edward," I said, my voice breaking, "but this shit scares me! I mean seriously, look at my last serious relationship! He fuckin' stabbed me! If that ain't love, I don't know what is." I said sarcastically, throwing my hands in the air.

"Bella, I can see what you're doin', usin' sarcasm to cover how you feel. It's okay to be scared baby! I'm terrified right now! No matter how you feel, _own it_. That's what first drew me to you – it's one big reason I love you! No matter who is near you, you always wear your heart on your sleeve. That's how I know this is _**right**_! When we're together – I can see how you act to me. You feel the same way I do! I don't wanna rush you, what with all you've gone through in the past few days, so you don't need to worry about me hog-tyin' you, throwin' you in my trunk, takin' you down to City Hall and forcin' you to marry me. I want you to be with me in whatever capacity you are comfortable with! For now, I'll take what I can get…" he trailed off, fisting his hair tightly before letting it go, standing up and looking at me.

"I'm gonna go downstairs for awhile and let you think or rest…whatever you want to do. If you need me or more pain meds, text me. It will be easier for you rather than havin' to hunt me down. If you need it, the bathroom is just through the glass door to your left." He gently explained before bending down to kiss my forehead then turning swiftly on his heel and leaving.

I climbed up into the bed where I just pulled the covers up to my chin and sniffled for a little while.

Instinctively, I rolled over onto my right side, hissing at the pain of the pressure on my stitches and rolled the other way. I was surprised to see that on the nightstand was my IPod, along with my earbuds, a novel that I had just bought but had not started to read yet, my cigarettes, lighter and ashtray, along with a cold glass of tea.

I grabbed the glass and took a sip after propping myself up. Putting the glass down, I went over my options, obviously, I had a lot to think about and reading just wasn't gonna help me.

I needed to concentrate, so I slipped the earbuds into my ears and grabbed the player. I turned it on, went to my playlists, selected my 'soothing mix' and hit shuffle.

I was immediately greeted by Josh Groban's silky voice. I smiled a little half smile at the song that was playing. _In Her Eyes_ was one of my favorite songs of his.

The song is this wonderfully expressive song about this guy who loves this girl and how she thinks he's this amazing person, because he loves her. He keeps telling her that he's not anything special – he's just a guy trying so desperately to love her unlike anyone before him, but in her point of view, he's a hero – an angel.

I lay back, pushing myself more deeply into the pillows, breathing deeply, letting the melody wash over me in waves.

I thought about Edward. He was this amazing man who had the ability to turn me into a drooling mass of idiot in no time at all, just by being the Southern gentleman that his father raised him to be.

Yet he was willing to be anything I needed him to be; he was my friend ever since he had started staying at the hotel, listening to me piss and moan about the latest ignorant Hilton Honors member that pissed me off; he was the quick fuck I needed after the bars – letting me take his body as I saw fit; he was my champion prizefighter when my ex came looking for me; now he was gunning to be my heart – to be the man who had the power to either make my life Heaven on Earth or the seventh circle of Hell.

I wasn't thrilled about giving another man that kind of power over me again. But Edward wasn't just another man – he was Edward-fucking-Masen! And he was choosing me.

As I turned these thoughts over and over in my head, I was brought crashing back down to earth by one single sobering thought – I knew what Jacob had done to me, but he had been in a scuffle with Edward first…SHIT! Had Edward been hurt?

I searched frantically for my phone and was relieved when my hand hit it beside my pillow. I typed a quick but simple text: _Edward, come quickly, I need you – now_ and sent it off quickly, gingerly propping myself up on the pillows and willed my heart to slow down enough that it wouldn't fly from my chest while I waited.

Even through my moments of sheer panic, I couldn't help the smile that graced my lips as I heard his bare feet pounding up the stairs and down the hallway to get to me as quickly as possible.

He flung the door open, his face flushed and his chest rapidly rising and falling. "Bella, are you okay?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"This is not about me, Edward," I said as calmly as I could, "how are _you_?" I raked my eyes over every inch of exposed skin that I could see and sighed when I saw that there was nothing marring his beautiful skin.

He looked at me confusedly, "What do you mean 'how are you'? You just said you needed me, what's goin' on?"

"Baby," I said quietly, "did Jacob hurt you? I haven't really seen you since the brawl and I need to know that you are unharmed."

His face relaxed instantly, "Darlin', I wish you wouldn't worry about me. I have a few bruises, but nothin' major and nothin' I wouldn't get again to try to protect you. He got a few lucky punches in, but mostly, I'm okay." He smiled at the end, showing me that he was truly okay.

"Please," I almost begged, "let me see them. I need to see the bruises." I felt myself getting worked up again and tears began to sting my eyes.

He reached down to the bottom hem of his shirt, pulled it up slowly and over his head. He turned in a slow circle to show me a 360 degree view of his upper body with his arms extended.

The tears that had begun to spring up were now running silently down my face as I took in his skin: he was bruised sporadically along his stomach, chest, shoulders and back.

"Come here," I pleaded, my voice almost too soft to hear.

He dropped his shirt to the carpet and climbed into the bed next to me. I spent long minutes kissing or caressing each and every bruise. As I inspected each one, he would either sigh or moan as I paid my respect.

Finally, I met his eyes, "I'm so sorry you got hurt." My voice broke on the word 'hurt' and I felt my tears rush down my face whereas before they were just slowly gliding down my face. He pulled me into his chest and in a low voice continuously telling me that it was not my fault and that I needed to calm down. "Truly love, they don't really hurt now." he assured me, the truth irrefutable in his eyes.

I know that he deserved answers and I finally had gotten my inner demons to come to an agreement or shut the fuck up.

My decision had been made.

"So…" I let my voice drop to a whisper, "what are we doin' Edward?" I looked into his eyes unsurely.

_There is no way that this man wants to be tied to you forever, Bella_

My inner voice was beating the shit out of me; I was getting sick and tired of doubting myself. I stared into his emerald eyes for an indefinite moment, uncertain that I wanted his answer – just in case it was as I had feared.

"Well, I don't know what _we_ are doin', Bella, but I'm waitin' for you to tell me if I need to go shoppin'." He smiled at me, his crooked smile dazzling me into silence.

"Not anythin' large or ostentatious, Mr. Masen…" I growled into his shoulder, trying in vain to hide the smile that had come to my face.

"Are you…agreeing…to this?" he asked, shocked.

I raised my head from his shoulder to look squarely in his eyes, "Yes, Edward Masen, I'm askin' you to marry me." I giggled at the pure shocked look on his face.

He frowned at me, "No. I will not if you are the one proposin', Miss Bella. That is _my_ job. And you won't get a proposal until I get you a ring…but if that is the case, I will be goin' tonight to get one." He let the frown drop and what was in its place was a look of euphoria. His eyes shined like Christmas lights.

I grinned at him and brought my lips to his. I desperately wanted his physical reassurance that this was not a dream. Silently, I was wondering if I actually was in a coma and this was my mind's way of making the coma time go faster. He kissed me back, letting his hands roam over my hips and up around my chest. Edward paused long enough at my chest to tease my nipples, causing them to tighten against the fabric of my sleep shirt. I groaned into his mouth and pushed myself closer to him, wrapping my leg around his hips pulling him flush with me.

He gently put his hands up to my shoulders and pushed back just enough to make me stop and frown at him.

"Bella, I want to show you somethin'. Are you okay to walk right now? I could carry you if you'd like." He offered chivalrously with a wink and a smirk.

"No," I pouted, "I want to stay in bed with my man and make out for a while." My brow furrowed as he threw his head back and laughed.

He leaned his head down to my neck and slowly licked a trail to my ear, "We can make out later, I have a pre-engagement present for you. Plus, I don't know if we should make out…it's not good for your stitches. Remember, my father said only oral stimulation…" he trailed off, gently pressing his hand to the heat that was radiating from in between my legs.

My head lolled backwards and I found myself growling fiercely when he quickly moved his hand from the one place I _ached_ for him to behind my knees. He wrapped his other arm around my back and scooped me up, maneuvering us off the bed.

He laughed openly at the childish way I had my arms crossed over my chest and the pouty look on my face. He walked down the stairs, still carrying me with me still pouting. Damn Jacob! Damn him to the farthest, fieriest, darkest pit in hell! Because of him, I can't have sex with my man. _Ooooh….you just wait Jacob Black! You are sooo gonna get what's coming to you!_ I mentally shouted at him. I would have to make arrangements to have Laurent kick his ass.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I completely missed the fact that we had arrived at our apparent destination. Edward set me down gingerly and I looked around the bright and massive room that I was in.

It was a few times larger than any room I had ever seen. There were a few large chaise lounges scattered around the room and several different musical instruments. Sadly, that is not what my eyes zeroed in on. I found myself gaping openmouthed at a grand piano off to the right in the room. The bench was large and cushioned – very comfortable looking. I turned my head to the left, where Edward was looking at me intently; his normally emerald orbs had darkened to an even more gorgeous shade of hunter green.

"Uh," I cleared my throat, "what part of this is my pre-engagement present?" I know I had to have looked confused. The sexy smirk was back on his face. God! How I wanted to just nibble on that smirk…it was the sexiest damn thing that I had ever seen.

"Your present is this," he said sweeping towards the piano, "I play, have ever since I was a child. My father made me learn the craft; he said that it would be a good way to woo the ladies. Granted, at the time, I had no idea what he was talkin' about. Also," he bent down and whispered in my ear, "I have never played for anyone that I was in a relationship with. I hope you don't mind, but I checked out your IPod…from what the numbers say; there is one song you listen to more than anything else. It was easy for me to pick it up…I learned the song for you. If you don't mind, I would like to play it for you now."

My mind raced, but I instantly knew which song he was about to play. _Say When_ by The Fray. I listen to that song so incessantly that I was embarrassed that he saw how much I listen to the song. I have always dreamt of a man singing it to me and meaning the words in the chorus. I felt my mouth drop and I nodded dumbly.

Wait. What? Did he just say that he _learned to play the song_…for _me_? My mind was so fuzzy with that information floating around, that I followed him to the bench. I sat down next to him when he had seated himself.

I found myself biting my bottom lip as a peaceful smile splayed across his lips and he began to gently caress the keys. He played the opening notes flawlessly and I sat there gnawing on my lip listening to what I thought was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. That was until I heard his voice singing along with the notes that he played so effortlessly.

_I see you there; don't know where you come from,_

_Unaware of a stare from someone,_

_Don't appear to care that I saw you and I want you,_

_What's your name 'cause I have to know it,_

_You let me in and begin to show it,_

_We're terrified 'cause we're headin' straight for it…might get it,_

The notes became stronger:

_You been the song playin' on the background,_

_All along, but you're turnin' up now,_

_And everyone is risin' to meet you…to greet you,_

The music became even more intense:

_Turn around and you're walkin' toward me,_

_I'm breakin' down and you're breathin' slowly,_

_You say the word, and I will be your man…your man,_

_Say when…and my own two hands,_

_Will comfort you…tonight…tonight,_

_Say when…and my own two arms,_

_Will carry you…tonight…tonight,_

The tones went back down to light again:

_We're comin' close…then even closer,_

_We bring it in, but we go no further,_

_We're separate, two ghosts in one mirror…no nearer_

He upped the intensity of the music again:

_Later on, if it turns to chaos,_

_Hurricane…comin' all around us,_

_See the crack, pull it back from the window, you stay low,_

_Say when, and my own two hands will comfort you…tonight…tonight,_

_Say when, and my own two arms will carry you…tonight…tonight…_

The music lowered back to an almost melancholy feel:

_I come across…you lost and broken,_

_You're comin' to, but you're slow in wakin',_

_You start to shake, you still haven't spoken…what happened,_

The power began to build again – ever building:

_They're comin' back and you just don't know when,_

_You want to cry, but there's nothin' comin',_

_They're gonna push, until you give in or…say…when,_

_Now we're here, and it turns to chaos,_

_Hurricane, comin' all around us,_

_Double crack throws you back from the window…you stay low,_

The raw power that he was playing with made my heart clench:

_It all began with a man and country,_

_Every plan turns another century,_

_Around again, another nation…fallen,_

_Maybe God can be on both sides…of the gun, never understood why,_

_Some of us, never get it so good…so good,_

At this most pivotal part of the song, his voice rang true and he passionately pounded the keys:

_Some of this…was here before us, _

_All of this…will go after us,_

_It never stops until we give in…give in,_

_Say when, and my own two hands will comfort you…tonight…tonight,_

_Say when, and my own two arms will carry you…tonight…tonight,_

_Say when, and my own two hands will comfort you…tonight…tonight…_

The music dwindled off to nothing but a memory and I found that I was crying. He turned to me with a sheepish yet crooked smile and I couldn't help myself; I threw my arms around him and sobbed into his neck.

_All this crying today was going to make him think I was emotionally unstable…ugh!_

"I take that as you liked it?" he asked teasingly. I nodded, my head still buried in the crook of his neck. "Darlin'," he drawled, "let's go to one of the lounges, you may be more comfortable there."

Without waiting for my consent, he lifted me again in his arms and carried me to the nearest chaise, gently laying me down. He lay down next to me, and I was surprised that the lounges were large enough to fit us both comfortably.

He began to softly sing my song to me, his breath tickling my ear when he would draw out 'tonight'. My sobs began to quiet, and I didn't even realize what happened until it was done:

I snuggled closer to him and while exhaling a breath, I whispered, "When."

I heard his breathing hitch and he gently turned my face to his so that we were looking into each other's eyes. I saw the struggle behind his eyes before his eyes turned that amazing hunter green again, hardening up and he crashed his lips to mine.

We kissed desperately for an immeasurable amount of time, my hands wandering over his muscles, his hands wandering over every inch of my skin, lingering over my breasts, sides (gingerly skipping over the stitches), and down my legs. I moaned shamelessly into his mouth as he hitched my leg over his hip and ground his hardness against me.

I thrust back against him, eliciting a moan from him as well.

I wanted him so badly, but I felt that he would listen to his father's advice on not hurting me. I was fighting the sadness that pressed against my heart as I thought of weeks without feeling him inside me.

I pulled at the button of his jeans, sighing into his mouth when it popped free. Edward stilled immediately beside me and I knew that he was fixen to stop us. My vision began to shimmer with tears at the rejection that I thought was coming.

"Bella," Edward groaned, "Please. Stop tryin' to undress me. It's bad enough that I want you so bad that I hurt, but you are tryin' to do what I want to do and it's killin' me." He huffed and raked his hands through his hair tightly, making it difficult for me to think of anything but running my hands through his hair, pulling his hair, damn…

"Edward, please." I bit out through my teeth, I was close to trying to rape him, "Please let me feel you. I need to feel you. I need you to touch me. I need you inside me. More than anythang I have ever wanted before." My Southern twang had gotten worse now that I was turned on and wanting him so urgently.

"Argh!" he groaned, arching his back into the lounge; he looked like he was in pain. "Bella, why? Why do you do this to me? I want you all the time…hell, I'm a guy. If I'm not in you, I think about wantin' to be buried inside you. It's torture. Don't get me wrong, there ain't a single thing that I want to do right now more than you, but you gotta heal, love. I would hate myself for a long time if I hurt you or if your stitches popped. God, Bella. I just can't let you go through that." His voice kept getting more and more tortured sounding; as sad as it made me, I was also getting pissed. Being pissed won out…I wanted him enough to play dirty. Plus, I know my body and knew that the stitches would hold.

"Dammit, Edward! You fought for me! You talk about how much you want me…I don't see it. If you want me so bad, _show me_! Show me that you want me. Show me that you desire me. Show me that you are willin' to be with me until we get old and frail. Goddamnit, Edward, _SHOW ME!_" I was shouting and pushing at him and the look in his eyes got wilder and wilder until he looked positively ravenous, exactly how I wanted him.

His eyes locked onto my lips for only a moment, exactly long enough for me to lick my bottom lip and he closed the distance between us, crashing into my mouth so hard that I was a little surprised and a tiny squeak escaped my lips.

"God, Bella," he groaned into my mouth as I resumed in my mission of getting him free from his pants. Thankfully, the zipper didn't put up a fight and I was able to tug his jeans and boxers down without much of a problem either.

I looked down at the freshly released member that was throbbing for me…just for me and sighed contentedly. If this was what it was gonna be like being married to him, the whole City Hall plan was looking better and better.

He reached to the head of the chaise and fumbled with something for a minute before music flooded the room. I arched my eyebrow at him and he responded simply with, "Built in remote."

I laughed as 30 Seconds to Mars reached my ears. "Really, Edward? _The Fantasy_?" I smiled at him and he smirked back at me, "Hey! It's a hot song…and it's on repeat."

I groaned before leaning my head down and licked just the tip of his head, listening to his whimper as I greedily sucked just the head into my mouth. I hollowed out my cheeks, increasing the suction on him so that I could get that precious bead of precum from him.

He arched his back again pushing himself into my mouth and moaning loudly. I couldn't help but growl when he continued to throb in my mouth as I plunged relentlessly down onto his shaft. After a few minutes of trying to milk him with my mouth, his hands gripped the sides of the lounge tightly before grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling my face up to his.

He looked fiercely into my eyes, "Bella, if you want this to last, I'm gonna need you to not do that again for a minute. Do you want to be on top, or do you want me up there?"

I thought it was sweet that he was still trying to find a way to not hurt me. Honestly, at that moment, I couldn't care less. I wanted to ride him. Like a fucking cowgirl. Grrrr…

"I'm on top tonight, Masen," I growled at him before mounting him, grasping his hands to steady myself.

His eyes stayed locked on mine as I slowly impaled myself on his cock. I moved to release his hands, but he was having none of that, grasping my hands tighter as I rocked my hips back and forth over his.

Keeping this kind of contact while we were grinding was amazing. I felt connected to him on a much deeper level than what we had been. It seemed that my heart was swelling with love for this man.

I continued rocking against him, mumbling and murmuring incoherent words as he let go of one of my hands and moved his to circle my clit lazily. I threw my head back and moaned. I moved my head back to the front so that I could see his face as he continued his ministrations.

It was amazing to watch him as he pleasured me, he alternated from watching himself touching me where our bodies were connected to closing his eyes, enjoying his own pleasure to looking at my face to gage my reactions to his touches.

Watching him watch me was the single hottest thing…_ever_.

As I neared my climax, I rocked harder and my head thrashed with my thrusting, my hair flipping itself everywhere. With my free hand, I ran a hand through my hair from the roots to the tips to get it out of my face and then moaned at the feeling. I ran my hand back through my hair again, this time stopping at the crown of my head and anchored my hand there, clutching wildly at the hair and pulling it tightly.

I groaned again and looked down at Edward who was on the brink of his own orgasm, his eyes closed tightly as he struggled to hold out long enough for me to come first.

I continued to watch him and he opened his eyes. "Cum for me, Bella. Now baby. I need to feel you cum. God…you have _no idea_ how badly I need it. Please." I felt the contractions begin and I snarled at him, "Keep talking baby. Just keep talking; I'm right there."

He smirked at me and said in a sexy, low voice, "Does someone like to hear me talk? Huh?" he bounced me into the air with his thrust causing me to call out loudly, "Yes!" "Well, you know what I like? I like it when you let go. I like it when you're in charge. I love the way you feel when you're grippin' me with those hot walls of yours. I love the look you get on your face right before you cum on me…ungh…like you have now. It's the sexiest fuckin' thing ever. But most of all, I _really love it_ when you let go and I feel you cum on my cock. I love feeling the spasms you have on my dick. It's just so good…so tight…so _Bella_…so **mine**, I just can't help but follow you over the edge. Goddamnit, baby! I'm cummin', hold on tight love." He began to thrust harder, making my breasts bounce firmly as he began to twitch inside me, filling me with his hotness with a wail on his lips.

I had been quietly keening ever since he had started talking to me. God, how I loved the octaves of his voice and how deep they would go when he was turned on. Just a few words from him in that tone of voice made me ruin perfectly good underwear.

I gingerly climbed from him, trying hard not to bump my stitches that were now waking back up.

"First off, you didn't hurt me, but I need to go get my pain meds. My side is waking back up. Second of all, have I told you lately that I love you?" I asked, a smile playing on both of our lips.

"Well, first off, let me get you your pills, and second, even if you tell me every minute of every day, I will never tire of hearin' it, so feel free. By the way, I love you too." He leaned over and kissed my lips gently before getting up, still naked as the day he was born and walked briskly from the room.

I got up and followed him down the hallway to his kitchen where he grabbed my pill bottle from the island counter, put two in the palm of his hand, walked over to his large stainless steel refrigerator and got me out a glass of sweet tea. He handed me the pills and tea, watching me as I popped them into my mouth and washed them down with the tea. Best damn tea I had ever drunk.

"Edward, who makes your tea? It's better than anything I've ever tasted. Even better than Ali's, and that is not easy to do." I asked, curious. His smirk became even larger and he leaned to whisper his secret in my ear, "Well, love, I made it. I have been a bachelor for too long, I had to learn to do the basics or starve to death. Ha-ha." He threw his head back and laughed at that, and I joined him, our laughter bouncing from the kitchen walls.

"Well, what do you want to do now?" I asked, purposely dropping my voice to a husky whisper to provoke him. His eyes flashed for a second before he replied, "Well, I do have an amazin' entertainment center and _massive_ amounts of DVDs, so why don't we watch a movie? I'll even let you pick it out."

I nodded and followed him into what I assumed to be the living room, which was almost as large as the music room; I was becoming confused…just how fucking large was this damn place?

I went through his DVDs, which were annoyingly alphabetized, and finally picked out _The Love Guru_. It was one of my all-time favorites.

We sat down and watched the movie, laughing at the funny parts until it came to the part where Justin Timberlake was trying to face off with Mike Meyers in front of the Kung Foo movie poster. Edward surprised me when he quoted 'The Coq's' line: _Do not look at me in that tone of voice or I will punch. you. in. the. shirt!_ I laughed so hard that I had to put pressure on my stitches because I felt that they were gonna pop open. Edward put his arm around me and laughed with me for the rest of the movie and just before the end credits, I fell asleep in his arms.

I don't know how long I was asleep, but when I awoke, I was alone on the couch. He had thrown a soft, fuzzy blanket over me before he left to keep me warm.

I sat up somewhat disoriented, and felt the piece of paper next to the pillow that my head had just been on.

I picked it up and read:

_My Dearest Bella,_

_I made a quick trip into town before the restaurants closed so that I could pick up some dinner for us. Hopefully, I will be back before you wake up, but if not, your pain meds are on the coffee table if you need them and I will be back soon._

_Please be careful. This day has been too magical and far too perfect for anything to get in the way of our bliss. _

_I love you so fucking much it hurts._

_Forever yours,_

_Edward_

I clutched the note to my chest and sniffled at his choice of words. _I love you so fucking much it hurts._

I raced up the stairs and grabbed my cell phone, quickly banging out a text message for him.

_But isn't it a good pain? God knows, I don't know how I lived without it before…_

I sent it off to him and smiled as I came down the stairs. I sat back down on the couch and hugged the blanket to my chest, inhaling the scent that could only be described as Edward.

I jumped as my phone went off, alerting me to a new text message. I was gonna kill Alice, she had been fucking with my ringtones again. When Edward's text came in, my phone started playing the chorus for Faith Evans' _I Love You_.

I was gonna choke that evil little sprite…if I could ever get my hands on her…ah, but I digress.

I opened the text just to have the breath knocked out of me as I read his response:

_I know what you mean. If all pain felt like this, I would cut myself daily to feel it. I hope you like dinner, I will be there sooner than you think._

Just as I slid my phone shut, I heard him walk into the house. My heart hammered in my chest as I thought of my man going to get food for the two of us.

I ran to greet him, reaching up on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Do you want any help carryin' that to the kitchen?" I asked, trying to be helpful.

"No, but thank you," he smiled at me, "I got it. Just go back into the livin' room and have a seat. I'll bring it right to you."

I smiled at him, turned to walk into the living room and squealed when he swatted me on the ass. I whirled to him and wagged my finger at him. I happily made my way into the room, dropping heavily onto the couch.

I began to count as I waited for him to bring the food. I got to 138-Mississippi before Edward waltzed into the room with a few plates balanced on his arms and two champagne flutes filled with wine in his hands. I grinned as he set the food out in front of us and was astounded to see my favorite Italian food, Fettuccini Alfredo as well as The Olive Garden's signature appetizer, smoked mozzarella with toasted bread to eat it with.

I smiled wider as he set down my favorite wine from the restaurant. How in the hell did he do that? The Olive Gardens in the area will not let anyone buy their wine to take out of the restaurant. It's against policy or some shit. Trust me, I've tried…several times…several different ways, and I always get the same response, 'Sorry ma'am, it's against our policy.'

I put the first bite in my mouth and moaned in pleasure as the cheesy goodness hummed against my taste buds. I slowly opened my eyes back up and found Edward gawking at me. I raised my eyebrow in question and he quickly answered, speaking in an awestruck tone, "I just find it fascinatin' how you find joy in the smallest things. Just bein' near you is a blessin' and I'm tryin' to wrap my head around the fact that you love me just as much as I love you."

"I do," I responded quietly, "truly."

I washed the pasta down with my glass of wine, purring my appreciation as it warmed my throat down into my stomach. I drained the glass in one swig and found it endearing when Edward asked, "Would you like a refill my love?", his eyes shining. "Sure."

He got up silently and padded to the kitchen to refill my glass. Before coming back in, he dimmed the lights and then settled down again next to me. He sat the glass down on the table in front of me, God knows how he did it, with the lights as low as they were, I could hardly see my hand in front of my face.

"I thought, for a change of pace, I could feed you and you could just sit back and enjoy it?" he asked it as a question rather than stating his intentions. I smiled at his uncertainty. It was refreshing, normally men are cocky creatures.

I smiled wider and told him, "It's fine with me if that is what you want to do."

I sat in silence while I waited for him to bump into my mouth with the fork and almost melted into a puddle of goo when I felt his fingers reverently touch my lips and heard his soft command, "_Open_." I parted my lips in anticipation of the Alfredo and when the food hit my tongue, the taste and texture were all wrong. It was the toast and mozzarella. I hummed again at the pleasure of him feeding me.

After several bites like the cheese, I was getting parched. "Edward, can I please have my wine?" I inquired, still smiling. I didn't hear anything for a few seconds then a nervous huff and at last, felt the cold of the glass pressing into my hand.

I gripped and downed it, same as I had before. Something happened differently this time though, as I tipped the glass to get the little bit in the bottom out, something metallic clinked against my teeth causing me to shut my mouth altogether and let out a squeak of surprise.

I reached up to my mouth to remove the object and suddenly the lights were on.

Edward walked around the couch to kneel in front of me and removed the ring from my lips. After drying it off onto a napkin, he took my left hand and poised the ring at the tip of my ring finger.

I looked down at the beautifully simple solitaire and was immediately breathless that he followed my wishes. With me, simple is better…sadly, it wasn't simple enough – the stone was at least a half carat. Bloody-fucking-huge.

"Bella," he started, "I have had the joy of knowin' you for two years now. Our relationship has blossomed from strictly work environment only to friends to givin' each other our bodies, but more importantly, our hearts. I'm askin' for the opportunity to give you everything that you deserve and haven't gotten yet. I'm askin' for the opportunity to be the man that you have needed ever since you have been of age. I'm askin' for you to take the gift of my heart, take good care of it and let me take care of yours. Please marry me…make the happiest man in the beautiful South. Please Bella, _please_."

His eyes danced from one of my eyes to the other as he smiled at me hopefully…leaving me to answer in the only way I could, "Thank you, Edward. You know I will."

He slid the ring on my finger and leaned in to kiss me, sealing the deal.

**A/N: So, this chapter pretty much wrote itself and is the longest one yet. It took me roughly eight hours to finish it, seeing as how I started this at work, writing only 2 pages then finishing this on 7-9. Also, I didn't know starting out if they were gonna be engaged or not, it kinda just happened….sorry if you don't like it. It's how things work sometimes. Plus, I am not sure how many chapters this story will be, but I know that I want to go into some of their married life in this story without having to do a sequel. I have a couple of my other fanfics on hold to continue to write this one faster.**

**I was originally hoping that I could get this done and uploaded by opening night for Eclipse, but that didn't happen. I was there at midnight on the 29****th****, eagerly waiting for the time that the idiots would let us in…they made us enter in shifts…fuckers. Sadly, I missed half of the fucking movie because the little blonde twit behind me kept kicking my fucking seat and was continuously giggling and talking rather **_**LOUDLY**_** to her stupid little friends near her and other fuckers at the faaaar end of her isle. (No offense meant to my blonde readers…) God, I have never come so close to getting arrested for assault and intent to do bodily harm before. How I wanted to though. My best friend from my childhood and my girlfriend went with me and I mean to tell you, if it wasn't for Sara (the friend), I would have been in lockup before sunrise.**

**So, here soon before it leaves the theaters, I'm taking Christy (the girlfriend) to go see it AGAIN as a date. God forbid that the person behind me kicks my fucking seat or talks during the goddamned movie, because Christy is going to have to have bail money…and sadly, you all will have to wait for my release to get another update – pray hard that I get the back row…**

**On to happier news – this chapter is dedicated to my two most favoritest peoples out there in the fandom, RamonaRose20 and jbrosr4ever….you both keep me grounded for two completely different reasons…one only in the fandom and the other at my job. Ramona – sweetheart, you are the Bella to my Alice and I love you. Jasmine – darlin', forget the evil bitch and the stoopid douchebag and come live with me in Bammyland. ; ) You know I love you!**

**Reviews make Edward happy and me write faster….pushing through the roadblocks that are real life (ginormous fuckery that is work) more easily to update faster.**

**Please review….don't you want Edward to be happy? *wink and smirk***


	9. Straight Shot of Bacardi

**A/N - In this chapter, we will get both Bella's and Edward's POV. There will be angst - and we will finally see, quite literally, Edward's dark side. Trust me; even his dark side is yummy.**

**Thank you to everyone who favorites, alerts and reviews. Every time I see that I have a new one, whichever it may be, I squee like a banshee. I do try to reply to each and every one of them - it just takes me a while for the alerts and favorites. The reviews get responded to as soon as I see that there is a new one.**

**I'm curious - if you don't mind, please leave a review or pm and let me know how you found this story...there are far too many people reading this to have just stumbled across it. ;) That and I just would like to know if I need to thank anyone for pimping me out, lol. (Not likely, but still...)**

**If you ever want to talk about the story, or life in itself, let me know and I will give you the personal email. My favorite story will be rec'd at the bottom A/N.**

**Do not own Twilight or any other recognizable stuff in here...also, fair warning - darkness and some random drug use is in this chapter - if it offends...just skip it or pretend that they are playin' Twister or some shit.**

**On with the next episode...**

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**BPOV**

I rolled over, my side screaming from the pressure put on it. Quickly, I rolled over onto my back, stretching as much as my irritated skin would allow.

My hand brushed against something soft, silky and can only be described as Edward.

My breath hitched as I caressed his hair.

_My God! Yesterday wasn't a dream!_

My mind flew back to the events of the past 24 hours and I felt like I could cry.

Edward had taught himself a song just for my benefit!

I keep waiting to wake up to find that this was all just a wondrous dream, but my mind refuses to cooperate and keeps making these hallucinations, delving me deeper into this beautiful impossibility.

There is no way that this beautiful, talented, kind-hearted, loving, copper-haired god could love me. I attract psychos - the throbbing pain in my side reiterates this notion, bringing me back to Jake.

It is almost funny that I can now call him Jake. He used to hate me calling him Jacob, but I couldn't stand to call him by his preferred nickname.

Sadly, there may have been a part of me that loved him a long time ago.

I began screaming at myself:

_Bella, that part of yourself has been dead the moment that fucker laid his hands on you! He doesn't deserve your love...or your pity._

I refused to think another sad thought about him, not while being so close to the Southern boy that continues to save me - even from myself.

I rolled onto my good side, looking at Edward's peaceful face as he slept on unaware.

His face was relaxed and it was as if he was just a boy...he looked so carefree.

I raised my hand to lift a few of his stray hairs away from his face when a sharp, shiny glint caught my eye.

_Holy shit!_ It seemed that I didn't dream up that part either!

I moved a very shaky right hand to the gorgeous ring adorning my left hand ring finger to further inspect the physical reminder of Edward's feelings for me.

I slid the ring from my finger and brought it to my face to investigate the very non-offensive new piece of jewelry that I acquired last night.

It was about a half a carat diamond solitaire set simply in gold.

I turned the ring around and around in my hands, until another glint caught my eye.

_Goddamn that thoughtful man_, I shouted in my mind - on the inside of the band was one word - _FOREVER_ - the 'o' being another small diamond.

Shaking even more than I had before, I put the ring back on.

I desperately needed a drink and some of my meds. My mind was far too active for what I was ready to accept.

Silently, I slipped from the bed and down the stairs to the wet bar in the enclave beside the living room.

I grabbed the first liquor bottle my hands rested on - Bacardi Rum - _awesome choice_.

I went into the kitchen to grab my medication then to the living room to put everything down.

I went back to the kitchen to grab a glass and some ice from the freezer before going back to the living room to settle on the couch.

I poured the Bacardi over the ice and grabbed a pill from the bottle, tossing the white pill into the back of my throat, rinsing it down with the rum - thankful for the warmth the alcohol gave me.

I drank a few glasses of rum before all the ice was melted and I was too far gone to remember my own name.

I passed out on the couch thinking of emerald green eyes and copper hair.

**EPOV**

I awoke to a blissful burn in my groin and butt muscles reminding me that I was the luckiest fucking bastard on the face of the earth.

_Bella agreed to marry me yesterday!_

I opened my eyes to spy the dark haired beauty whose hand I had single-handedly secured as my own to find the bed empty.

"Bella?" I called out timidly - scared that maybe she had run.

It was still dark in the room and there was no light shining from under the bathroom door.

Where on earth had she gone?

I rolled to the edge of the bed and stood up, only hesitating long enough to pull on my boxers and made my way down the stairs.

I checked the kitchen, peeked quickly into the living room before darting through the kitchen and out the back door onto the back porch overlooking my mass of inherited land.

In her early days, this plantation had been a magnificent wonder - producing several thousand bushels of tobacco a season.

My father had inherited it from his father who had inherited it from his father and so on and so forth for as far back as our family owned the land.

While it was in my father's possession, the plantation had not been kept up, as he did not have the time to keep up with the regular repairs and maintenance needed to keep this geriatric lady producing the South East region's finest tobacco.

When he passed it down to me, my first large project was to hire the contactors to restore this house and land to her former glory.

Our contracts with the few tobacco companies that we did business with were frighteningly close to lapsing due to inactivity on our part. Although we were financially well off, none of us really wanted to deal with the legal nightmare of being sued.

It took a couple hundred-thousand dollars, but she was finally back up to her previous productivity, thanks in large part to Brandon - a long time friend of the family. He managed our growing seasons - making sure that everything was planted, maintained and harvested when it was time to so that the maximum nutrients could stay in the soil. Without him, the family land would have been forever barren.

Of course, I helped around here when I could, worked for my father when he needed me to, but my biggest time investment was my band - _Embracing Darkness_.

It started back when I was in high school. Just a bunch of boys playing around in a garage.

Josh, my best friend, was the bassist, Emmett was our drummer and I was our singer/guitarist.

We all had grown up with music being the foundation for our emotions - allowing the simple notes and lyrics of songs to shape our lives.

Emmett was our 'fly-by-nighter', only showing up for practice and to play shows at our regular club, EMO, in Birmingham.

Victoria, EMO's owner, had been emo before it was cool. She named her club "Emotions May Overwhelm" or EMO for short. It was a place where rational thought was given over to completely emotional states of consciousness.

We didn't advertise ourselves (only telling those close to us) because we didn't do this for the glory or the money - we did it for the love of the music.

We did covers of our favorite songs and once in a while, we would do an original song. It all just really depended on how we felt at any one given time.

No one who knew me professionally would recognize me when I would embrace my darker side.

We all had stage names and personas: mine was _Masen_ - I wore black jeans, tight black t-shirt, black eyeliner, black leather wrist cuffs complete with chains and a spiked dog collar. Josh was _Angel_ - he always went a bit theatrical on his gear; temporarily coloring his hair blue, wearing dark eye shadow and eyeliner, and donning traditional black leather pants and trench coat. Emmett was the funniest of all of us; he was _Trag_ - short for Troglodyte or in shorter terms - caveman. He had made a play on the nickname his wife gave him. He wore really baggy, holey jeans, white undershirts and no stage makeup.

Today was our first show in 2 months - since Bella tipped my world on its ear.

I wanted so badly for her to know all the facets of her fiancé, especially the part that was so big to who I am.

Truthfully, I'm scared shitless that she will run from me when I put the metal ring in my lip, apply my makeup, clothe myself, fix my hair and become _Masen_.

Thinking of how she would react brought me back to the panic of where she was.

Obviously not in the backyard, I went back into the house, flitting from room to room until I caught a distinct whiff of alcohol in the living room.

How had I not noticed it before?

I followed my nose to the couch where Bella had passed out, an empty bottle of Bacardi beside her and her pill bottle open.

"Bella?" I yelled in her face, shaking her by the shoulders, "Baby? Goddamnit Bella! Wake up!"

Her head lolled from front to back and side to side, completely unresponsive. I had worried that she had overdosed.

I gently sat her back against the pillows on the couch and snatched her pill bottle up from the coffee table, quickly counting in my head.

_11...12...13...14...15...16...17...18...19...and she had taken 4 in front of me, that leaves 1 that is unaccounted for!_

I sighed in relief, she had just passed out from the alcohol, not been trying to kill herself.

I scooped her up gently and took her upstairs to - _dare I say it?_ - **our** bedroom.

Placing her down on her side of the bed, I slid in next to her and cradled her to my chest. I loved the feel of her skin next to mine as she slept her blood alcohol level into a much healthier place.

I knew that if I intended on being on top of my game tonight and actually putting on a good show, I needed to get some more rest - shows always took a lot out of me.

I bowed my head into her hair, inhaling deeply, and kissed the top of her head.

It wasn't long before I drifted off into dreams of her.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I awoke a few hours later to Bella stirring in my arms.

Automatically, I bowed my head to kiss the top of hers and smiled into her hair as she moaned at my kiss.

She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight, reminding me that I desperately needed to piss, like no one's business. I would have just waited, but when I got up earlier, I hadn't thought to use the restroom.

"Darlin'," I breathed into her ear, "give me just a few seconds, I need to pee. I'll be right back. Don't move."

My smile got impossibly wider as she groaned and rolled onto her back, clearly not happy with my having to leave her alone in the bed.

I quickly padded to the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door behind me, as I pulled myself from my boxers, aimed and waited for the flow.

I leaned my head back and sighed as it came, instantly beginning to feel relief.

All that stopped short as I felt a smaller, warm hand slide around my side to grip my manhood.

My eyes flew open just in time for Bella to stand on her tiptoes and whisper in my ear, "Just let me help you, Edward. This is something that I have always wanted to do for my man - when I got one that I loved enough to want to help anyway."

She slid her hand into a more comfortable position, eliciting a moan from deep in my chest.

Still not feeling completely relieved, I warred with myself to just let go and pee. _Goddamnit! I probably could if it was any other hand but hers right now on my dick._

_Jesus Masen!_ I chided myself; _it's just Bella for Christ sakes! _

_Yeah, I know, that is why this is so fuckin' difficult! What she is doin' is degradin' for a woman to do! She shouldn't have to do this!_

_You heard her, asshole! She wants to do this for you - fuckin' let her, douchebag! If you don't go with the flow soon, she is gonna take it as you don't want her to help you and there is no tellin' what she will do then!_

_**DO IT ASSHOLE!**_

I struggled for only a minute more, before finally getting my gun-shy bladder to cooperate and let go.

She hummed into the back of my neck, placing a chaste kiss at the junction of my neck and back.

When I was finally done, she shook me gently a few times before moving her hand slowly up and down my shaft, quickly bringing me back up to painfully hard.

I fought with myself as I turned around to kiss the beautiful woman behind me.

Part of me, my less noble side, was telling me just to take her back to the bedroom and ravish her since she had bestowed upon me the single-handed best piss I have ever had. The other part of me, the Southern Gentleman, wanted me to take her downstairs, fix her breakfast and tell her of _Embracing Darkness_, since it was only an hour until Emmett and Josh showed up for practice.

Just mentioning the music was enough for my less noble side to back the fuck down and concede that the gentleman had a point.

She kissed me back passionately, turning my knees to jelly and crumbling my resolve.

I picked her up, wrapping her legs around my waist and carried her to the bed where I pounded into her until she came, shivering and screaming.

I was okay with the idea of not getting mine, but she locked her ankles behind my ass, pulling me into her deeply, where she was still having twitches after just having her orgasm. The twitches alone were enough to push me over the edge; pushing in as far as she would let me, pulsing my love into her.

Finally, she unlocked her feet from me and allowed me to roll to the side, trying my damnedest to catch my breath.

"Baby," I began huskily, "let's go downstairs. I'll make you breakfast and we can talk for a little bit. There's company comin' and I need to tell you why they are gonna be here."

She looked at me with just one eyebrow raised, but gave in, "Okay, Edward. How long do we have until they get here?"

"Roughly, about an hour. How 'bout we get dressed after breakfast?" I smirked at her, clothed only in a thong and my button-down shirt from yesterday.

Hell, I wasn't much better off, only wearing my boxers, but it was hot as hell and I couldn't bear with the idea of having to put on any more clothes just yet.

The central air conditioning was working, but during the summer in Alabama, even an AC unit blowing 24 hours a day wasn't enough for the inside temperature to stay below 80 degrees.

She smirked back, jumping from the bed and sashaying her hips at me as she walked to the stairs, where I caught up to her, pulling against me hard.

I wrapped my arms around her middle and walked right behind her down the stairs to the kitchen.

I quickly threw some scrambled eggs and home fries together for us, plated it for both of us and took the plates to the table.

She sat next to me, listening to my story as we ate. To give her credit, she never ran - she listened with rapt fascination, only interrupting to ask questions.

By the time we were done, I heard my front door open. I cussed myself quietly for giving those assholes a key to my place and grabbed Bella around the waist, taking the stairs two at a time until we were safely in the bedroom.

Bella got dressed in record time, dressing in short jean shorts and a tank top. She threw her hair up into a messy ponytail - she had never looked more beautiful. She was cut out for life in the South.

I dressed in an old t-shirt that I had from when I was a teenager and a pair of cargo shorts.

I turned to her, offering her my hand and walked her down to the music room to meet the guys.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**BPOV**

Who would have thought that Edward was a closet rocker?

_I don't care who you are, that's fuckin' hot!_

I had listened to him as he told me, keeping his eye on me like I was gonna run at the first opportunity. _Pshaw! As if that would ever happen! What girl don't want a rocker?_

We met the guys in the music room, and I stood completely awestruck as he greeted them - Edward was totally at ease. I had never seen him greet anyone informally for as long as I knew him, and here he was just joking around with the guys, clapping them on the back and high-fiving them.

"Bella, you know Emmett. This is Josh, the dumb-ass I've been telling you about." Edward said jokingly, gesturing to the guy standing next to Emmett.

Josh was about Edward's height, short-ish chestnut hair and the bluest damn eyes I have ever seen. He had a medium build like Edward's and his eyes had the same smile lines around them.

I liked him immediately.

"So," Josh started, smiling, "_you_ are the infamous Bella that Eddie has been pinin' over for the past couple years."

Before he could continue, Edward popped him on the arm and said scowling, "Do _not_ call me Eddie. And do _not_ tell her all my secrets man! You're supposed to be my friend. You're not supposed to be tellin' all my shit!"

We all cracked up at his mini tantrum and Josh stepped forward to hug me, telling me sincerely, "It's good to meet you, Bella. I'm glad he finally grew the balls to tell you how he felt."

I smiled, blushing furiously. I raised my hand to my cheek to cover the red when Emmett suddenly boomed, "_HOLY SHIT Edward! Is that what I think it is, or is it? You know that Alice, Rose and Esme are gonna shit when they find out that I found out that ya'll're engaged before they did!"_

_Wow - way to go all convoluted sentenced Em!_

He began cackling like an old witch at that before Edward popped him in the shoulder too, "Damnit Emmett! Shut the fuck up man. Let her tell them when she's damn good and ready to. Sometimes I think you're worse than the women!"

I smiled at Edward taking up for me and grinned at Emmett, "Fuck Em! You never told me that you played! Here I was, thinkin' that you were all muscles and shit. Who knew you could use the muscles to do somethin' other than play God at the hotel."

He smiled at me, noting my sarcasm, "Yeah, Bell, who knew? As much as I hate to cut introductions short, we do need to practice a little bit. Edward's been absent for the past couple of months for our jam-sessions. I need to get him focused for tonight. Bells, are you goin' with us or with the girls?"

I hadn't honestly thought about it, but knowing Alice, she'd have my ass in a sling if I went without her. "I reckon that I'll be goin' with Alice, Rose and Esme. Do you guys mind if I sit in and listen?"

Josh answered, "Not a bit, Sug. Truthfully, I was hopin' that you'd wanna sit in anyways...we been talkin' about addin' a girl to the group to do some hard-ass girl songs too. Halestorm and Evanescence is the shit. If you wanna do it and Edward and Em don't mind, we'd love to have ya Embrace your own Darkness, ya know?"

I looked at Edward, unsure. Would he be okay with me joining his team of emo boys? From the look on his face, nothing would make him happier. I had never thought of singing in front of people before.

I mean sure, I've done karaoke, and I sing around the house all the time, but do I have what it takes to actually sing in front of an audience?

"I'll think about it." I offered quietly.

That was all it took for the guys to get into motion, setting up their equipment. I heard Em huff, "Dude, she's gonna be so sick of us soon - we play _way_ too much 30 Seconds, man!"

Honestly, 30 StM, was the best thing I have ever listened to - other than Linkin Park. I couldn't wait to hear Edward sing some Leto.

They immediately began to play the _30 Seconds To Mars _song, _Kings and Queens_. I was entranced, listening to how seamlessly their own sounds flowed in together.

When it got to the chorus, Edward's voice was hopeful, powerful and reached right into my chest and gripped my heart.

Just listening to the truth of his voice, I could almost believe him.

_We were the Kings and Queens, I promise..._

Oh, my. Oh, my God. Oh, my Edward.

As he progressed into the song, his eyes would close for longer and I just wanted to cry...

_The age of man...is over..._

_The darkness comes at dawn..._

_These lessons that we've learned here..._

_Have only just begun..._

The trance that he had put me in held me tighter and I found myself swaying to the beat of the music.

When it was over, I couldn't help it; I squealed like a pathetic little fangirl and flung myself at him, kissing him all over his face.

He laughed, hugging me back and kissed me quickly before receiving a drumstick upside the back of his head, Emmett shouting, "Fuck man! Im'a need you to be lettin' go of Bells dude! I understand that you love her and all that shit, but man, really? We got a show to do tonight! Edward. Let. Her. Go. Man!"

Before the second stick could fly into the back of my man's head, I let him go.

I walked back to the chaise and flopped down; smiling glassily at the smirk that now adorned my man's face.

They all smiled and started the next song _Savior_. Again, I was unable to do anything but sit and watch - enraptured at what my man could do.

It shouldn't have surprised me that he could be all emo, but it just was fascinating.

He winked at me before jumping, gripping the microphone tightly and screaming into it.

_Don't save me; don't save me, 'Cause I don't care!_

I sat in awe for a few more songs until Josh looked at me and said, "Bella, have you ever heard of Halestorm?"

I threw my head back and laughed, "Who hasn't heard of Halestorm?"

I loved their lyrics and their music was strictly badass female.

"Then I take it that you're familiar with the lyrics?" Edward asked, his eyes dancing brightly.

"Yes," I smiled, "I'm familiar with their lyrics."

Emmett boomed his laugh and yelled, "I choose first! I've known her the longest!"

I laughed along with everyone else for a moment. Emmett had chosen _Taste of Poison_. It was an amazingly erotic song and I went to grab Josh's mic to officially audition for the band.

"Uh-uh, darlin'," Josh said, wiggling his finger at me, "you will be sharin' Edward's mic - he's gonna be your back up."

I harrumphed at them and waited for them to start the song.

Soon enough, the melancholy chords began and I could feel myself sink deeper into the feeling of the song.

I opened my mouth and the voice that came out of my mouth shocked the shit out of me.

_"Drink the wine, my darlin'," you said,_

_"Take your time, and consume all of it."_

I continued to sing, letting the music from both guitars lift me to a higher level of consciousness.

_The promises...were spoiled before they left your lips and..._

_I breathe you in again, just to feel you..._

_Underneath my skin, holdin' on to,_

_The sweet escape is always laced with a familiar taste of poison._

I continued singing my heart out, unaware of the guys around me.

_I don't wanna be saved; I don't wanna be saved,_

_Oh, I want you on my mind,_

_In my dreams, behind these eyes,_

_And I won't wake up,_

_No...__**not. this. time**__..._

_I breath you in again, just to feel you..._

I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me when I realized then, that no one was playing their instruments anymore. It was obvious that I was so bad that they couldn't bear to finish the song with me singing.

"I'm sorry..." I trailed off, "I didn't know that ya'll had stopped. I should let you guys get back to your practice."

I turned to walk away - I was determined to get some more rum in my stomach before I faced them again.

I didn't get far before I heard a clatter behind me and felt Edward's strong, warm arms wrap around me, pulling me close.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" he whispered huskily in my ear.

"I'm goin' to get some rum," I said dejectedly. "I'll leave the professionals to do what they do best."

"What?" Edward laughed, his chest rumbling against my back, "That was the single-most amazin' thing I've ever heard, love. I know what we've been missin' all this time. We've needed _you_."

I turned to face him, "Edward, you don't have to lie to me. It's not nice to lie to those you love. I'm a big girl; if I sucked, it's okay. I don't mind you tellin' me so." I arched my eyebrow to let him know that I was being serious.

He looked at me incredously, shaking his head slightly. Before he could say anything else to me, Em and Josh were both beside us, talking at once.

"Bella! Didn't know you had all _that_ in ya, girl!" - from Em.

"That was the _best_ audition that we've ever had! You _have_ to sing with us! Please! We will even _pay_ you!" - from Josh.

I laughed, thinking that this was too good to be true.

"Sing one more with us, just in case we ask you to come up and sing one with us tonight - just to show them what they're in store for." Edward murmured in my ear, being far too convincing for any one man to be, "Please? For me? There is one song I've been dyin' to hear come from your lips."

"Which one?" I asked breathlessly.

"Come see," he whispered enticingly, squeezing me one more time before releasing me and walked back to the guys, quietly telling them the next song before picking up his guitar and waiting with his eyebrow raised.

I walked back to them, waiting to hear the next opening chords - praying silently that it was one I knew.

When they started, I laughed, immediately knowing which one it was, as it was a favorite of mine. I was gonna show my man how much I wanted him to do my _Dirty Work_.

I lowered my voice to a seductive purr and began:

_Get on your knees and let the games begin,_

_Bow to your queen and I will crown your head..._

_'Cause I can make you every inch a king,_

_Before I do, tell me, tell me what's in it for me,_

_I need someone young, willin' and able,_

_You need someone old enough to know better,_

_I want you to -_

_Do my dirty work, do my dirty work,_

_Whoooaaaaah,_

_Do my dirty work, do my dirty work,_

_Yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah,_

_Come on!_

The guys chimed in when they needed to and Edward was more than willing to put on a show for the pretend audience; when I told him to get on his knees, he did - when I told him to bow to his queen, he bowed towards my feet, still playing.

I couldn't say how amazing I felt singing alongside of this wonderful man. Although, I was becoming nervous by thinking of actually singing in front of people tonight.

When practice was over, it was officially time to get ready. They said the show started at 9pm and would last until they were damn good and ready to be done. It was now 5:30, and we still had to get ready _and_ make it to Birmingham - which was almost an hour and 45 minutes away.

As it stood right now, I only had roughly about an hour to get ready and I had absolutely no idea what I was gonna wear to an emo bar.

As if on cue, Alice flew through the door and, while throwing clothes at me, ran into the bathroom to grab my hair products. "Just put these on, don't argue and just put everything on. This will go so much smoother if you. just. do. it!"

I laughed at the little evil Tinkerbell and looked at what she had brought in for me.

I was holding a pair of thick stockings that had thick black and hot pink horizontal stripes on them, a black mini skirt that had chains hanging from the waist and a black and hot pink corset top.

"Alice! I'm gonna look ridiculous! I can't wear this! I'll stick out like a sore thumb." I grumbled at her, my arms crossed over my chest.

"No, you will blend in - it's a goddamned emo bar for Christsakes! Everyone there wears things like this! Trust me! You will be fine! Now, shut. the. fuck. up and do what the nice pixie tells you to do!" she shouted at me, jerking my jean shorts down, pushing me down on the bed and started carefully yanking the stockings up my legs.

I uncrossed my arms and huffed at her, allowing her to dress me up like one of those little dark dolls.

I put the skirt on, getting tangled up in the chains - so badly, in fact, that Alice had to stop teasing my hair to help get the chains straightened out.

She tied the corset up the back and flew around my front, loosening up the front ribbons enough for my breasts to resemble decent looking cleavage rather than the smashed pancakes that they felt like.

"Edward is not gonna like me like this!" I wailed. I knew I was being a little emo diva right then, but didn't have enough decency in me to care.

"Did I hear my name?" Edward asked, peeking his head in the door.

"Goddamnit, Edward!" Alice shrieked at him, throwing all of her weight on the door to keep him out long enough to throw a robe on me, "You know I don't want you to see her until she is done! Okay, she's covered, now quick! Say what the fuck you came to say and then get. the. fuck. out!"

She stepped back, looking angry. I knew how she got when she was dressing people up - I tried to date once and we didn't even get to make it outside to his car before the date was over...Alice had already emasculated him to the point he ran screaming from the house and slung gravel all over the front walkway in an attempt to get away from her.

Edward had already gotten dressed, and might I say, he was hotter than I had ever seen him before. All the black eyeliner around his eyes made the emerald jump out and dance.

_OH. MY. GOD! Is that a hoop I see in his lip?_

I suddenly had the urge to jump him right there. I had never known that he had his lip pierced a quarter of the way out from the corner of his mouth. It was a simple thin silver hoop that held a captive ball in between the two ends.

I couldn't quit staring at it!

I am pretty sure that I had drool dripping down my chin onto the floor.

"Goddamnit, Bella! Stop droolin'! You're soakin' your shirt! Fuckin' A, Edward! If she don't stop, you gotta go!" Alice hollered at him in her bad pixie voice.

"All I had to say is I love you baby! You're gonna look hot as hell, please hurry! As a part of the band, you gotta ride with us!" he winked at me, _fuckin' winked_, kissed me quickly, and dashed out the door with a seriously non-emo spring in his step.

I closed my eyes, my fingers playing with the spot on my lips that his ring touched and allowed myself to be led back to the bed so that Alice could finish with me.

Finally I heard her huff, "Now, that's what I'm talkin' about! Quick! Go look! You're amazin' lookin'. Just like I knew you would."

I walked to the mirror and stood there awestruck for the umpteen millionth time today. The Bella that I had been for the past 19 years was nowhere to be seen, the girl in front of me was nothing, if not gorgeous.

Her chocolate eyes were surrounded in thick, black makeup that as it got further from her eyes, the lighter it got until, at her eyebrow lines, it was almost white. Her lips were a glossy fire engine red, as were her nails. Her clothes clung to her in a way that should have been illegal...I was just speechless.

"I'm not completely done, hun!" Alice cooed at me from the bed, causing me to turn around, "Try these on for size! You can't go out there all bare feet and shit!"

She sat there holding in her hands a black, glossy pair of high spike-heeled boots that would, no doubt, go the whole way to my knee.

I looked at them worriedly - I wasn't even sure how to put those damned death traps on!

Alice sighed at me, smiled and helped me get them on. After slipping them on my feet, she laced them up with more hot pink ribbon.

When she was finally done, I stood wobbling slightly. She noticed with an, "It's okay hun, you will get used to them in no time! Trust me...I was worried too when I first put them on, but they are the most awesome thing ever!"

Alice walked down the stair ahead of me to give me the 'grand entrance' that I deserved, by her words anyways.

"And now, let me have your attention! Shut. the. fuck. up. everyone! It's my pleasure to introduce to you - the dark, the beautiful, _Raven_!" she said in her announcer's voice.

I walked down the stairs as best I could in these damn shoes. I smirked a little bit when I heard a low whistle.

When I finally reached the bottom stair, my _Masen_ was standing there waiting patiently for his darkness-embracing fiance.

He held his hand out to me and I took it. He led me into the living room where the rest of everyone sat there looking dumbstruck.

I gave them my most apathetic look and even Rose busted up into loud guffaws.

I sat down precariously on the edge of the couch; God knows that I couldn't be comfortable in this getup even if I tried.

"So, when are we leavin'?" I asked nervously.

Edward looked at me and sucked his ring into his mouth for a moment before answering me, "We will leave soon, and the Hummer has already gotten here. Actually, we have a pre-show tradition that we gotta do before we leave." He smiled at me shyly before sucking that damned ring back into his mouth.

I turned to Em with a really confused look on my face, "So, what? Are ya'll gonna sacrifice me or some shit? 'Cause I'll be goddamned if I got all dressed up like this just to be murdered..." I couldn't help that my face got all screwed up by the end of my sarcastic question.

Em threw his head back and laughed like a drunk, hell, everyone was laughing at me.

"No," Josh said smoothly, "We participate in group sex - kinda like an orgy." He was leering at me by the end.

Edward's eyes shot to his and he smacked Josh upside the head, "I don't think so fucker! She's my _Raven_ doll to play with."

Okay, now I'm just confused..."So, I'm not gonna die...I'm not gettin' laid...what am I doin'?"

"God! Men are such perverts!" Alice exclaimed loudly, "We all smoke from the bong to calm the nerves!"

"Whew!" I sighed dramatically, "I'm glad ya'll finally told me, 'cause I was runnin' out of scenarios to play with."

"As if Rose or I would touch any of the nasty peckers in this room!" Alice said, laughing.

"Hey!" Josh exclaimed, "You 2 ladies just don't know what you're missin'. I betcha I could turn ya'll both onto polygamy!"

The serious air that had previously been all over the room was now officially blown and Em brought out the single largest bong I'd ever seen before.

It stood 5 feet tall and had 2 tubes with silver mouthpieces that came from up near the top so that 2 people could hit it at once. There were plugged up areas near the tubes that I could tell would normally house more tubes, but apparently, we were doing this as couples.

"Since _Raven_ is the newest to the family, she and Eddie get first hits." Em said, extending one of the tubes to me and one to Edward.

"Goddamnit, I'm gonna fuckin' kick your ass if you call me Eddie again, you fuckin' hillbilly!" Edward growled at him, snatching the tube from him.

He made my emo boy mad! I have to do something quick!

"Hey _Masen_," I purred, "when you hit this," I gestured to the bong, "hit it hard...like you would me." I raised my eyebrow to him to compliment my smirk and full on belly laughed when his eyes darkened a little and he stuck the mouthpiece to his lips, "Only if you suck it like you do for my cock." He murmured lowly.

I felt my thong become a little uncomfortable at that request, but knowing that the _Hummer_ was here...what the fuck...we needed to get this done.

I brought the mouthpiece up and Em lowered his Zippo to the giant bowl in the middle and kept the flame on the weed while Edward and I kept dragging deeper.

I felt the light lethargy begin to almost immediately spread to my limbs as I held my hit in, feeling my lungs begin the signature spasm, signaling me it was time to let it out.

Edward and I released our smoke at the same time and I couldn't help but giggle at the slight glaze that was settling over his eyes.

"Two more..." he commanded huskily, "then you guys can do with it what you will."

We both brought up the tubes to each other's mouths and locked eyes for a moment before I had to watch his lips wrap around the tube as he began to pull. My eyes snapped back up to his as I took my hit - looking into his eyes as I toasted my brain cells was like finding God in the middle of a Godiva chocolate covered strawberry.

We blew the smoke out again and he gently pulled the tube from my hand. I cocked my head at him, thinking that he was too stoned to be able to count when he brought his tube back to his lips and took the largest draw I'd ever seen anyone do before.

He held it in for an immeasurable amount of time before kneeling before me, wrapping his hand around my neck and pulling me close.

I closed my eyes and parted my lips as he pushed his lips to mine and filled my lungs with the most delicious tasting thing ever - Masen flavored Mary-Jane.

_Goddamnit! I'm so gonna have to change my thong before we leave!_ I cussed at myself.

I held my hit in until my vision started to get fuzzy then let it out like a gust of wind.

The oxygen to my lungs felt like vaporized awesomeness, but I found it hard to take in a full breath while looking into Edward's dark green eyes.

We sat back on the couch, Edward sitting me on his lap while everyone else took their own hits.

Soon enough, Edward was trailing kisses up and down my neck and tracing circles on my arms and sides. If he didn't stop this right now, I'd have to have him right here in front of God and everybody.

I heard a throat clear and looked up to see Esme all dressed up in her macabre attire...complete with bloodshot, glassy eyes, "Come on ya'll - if you want to get there on time, ya'll are gonna want to get in the Hummer. We'll bring the pipe with us in case of _emergencies_." She gestured towards me.

_Ah-ha! _My internal voice exclaimed, raising her pointer finger to the air, _they wanted to smoke so that I wouldn't get freak out or puke when I get out there in front of all those people! Goddamn! All those people..._

I was starting to feel an emergency come on, but steeled myself - if I wanted to be taken seriously here, I would have to not puss out tonight!

Esme held her hand out to me and helped pull me to my feet, Edward helping to push me.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the front door and led me to the waiting Hummer..._limo_...

What the fuck?

I stopped dead and stared at the sleekness of the long black vehicle, mouth agape.

"Victoria likes us to ride in style, love." Edward whispered in my ear, "By the way, once we get in the limo, we do not use the band's real names - stage names only, _Raven_." He licked the complete shell of my ear and began to tow me towards the limo.

I slowly regained my composure and climbed in ahead of Edwa...I mean...Masen.

We listened to music the whole way up, laughing and joking the whole way. We got there in record time and we were facing the 'Entertainer's Entrance Only' sign situated at the back door before I knew it.

I started to feel a little light headed, which sobered me right up and swooned a little bit before Rose saw me and pulled the small pipe from her bra, "Oh, no, honey - we ain't lettin' you go down like that before you even get on stage. Here, hit this girl!"

She placed the pipe at my lips and I gratefully took a large drag in, holding it until my racing heart slowed down.

Masen was looking at me worriedly, I gave his hand a quick squeeze, then followed everyone in through the door - just to come face to face with a fire-haired vixen dressed in a black mini dress with not much else on and hooker heels.

"Darkness! My boys! I'm so glad that you made it here okay! You got 10 minutes until you're announced, I suggest that you get yourselves hyped up or whatever it is that ya'll do before a show." she said in an almost cruel voice.

"Vic! So nice to see you again. I want to introduce you to our newest band member, Raven." Edward replied warmly, "Raven, this is Vic. She is the one who will sign your paychecks."

I managed to whisper something that resembled a hello and followed the guys to a door marked '_The Talent_'. Truthfully, the woman intimidated the piss out of me.

Everyone passed the pipe around and I took one more hit to assure that I didn't die up on stage.

Vic stuck her head in the door and told us that we needed to get into position. I glanced in a panic to Masen, who was still watching me.

"Don't worry love," he said, kissing my temple, "we are not gonna ask you to go up just yet - just go out there with the girls and enjoy the show."

I followed Alice, Esme and Rose out to the area in front of the stage and watched in awe as Masen took the stage confidently, his face a mask of apathy.

"Hey everyone." he said in his husky voice, "We have a great show planned for ya'll - I think that most of ya'll will be surprised. Well, here goes nothing."

With that, they began to play.

o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: So...what you think? O_o I know that the band came out of left field and it's gonna shock the shit out everyone, but first off, he said that they don't advertise themselves so his music is something that is special and revered to him - with everything going on, I can't say I blame him for forgetting about telling her. Second of all, I have a thing for lip rings and emo boys. I can just see Edward up on stage, channeling Leto. Hot. As. Hell.**

**Anyways, thanks again to everyone for all the support that ya'll give me.**

**RamonaRose24 - I heart you so much it ain't funny anymore.**

**Jbrosr4ever - I heart you too babe! If I can say this without being creepy - I would totally stalk you if you lived close enough! *wink* Just remember - stalking in a noncreepy way.**

**The makers of my rum - I would love to dry hump your legs if I could. This entire update was written through a rum haze...and what an awesome haze it has been.**

**To the Coca ~ Cola company - Thank you for making such a fizzy concoction to use to make my rum truly yummy!**

**And lastly, to my woman - Thanks for indulging me in cherries, music, Twilight and love. One day, darlin', one day.**

**If you are still reading this alcohol-induced rambling, please review - tell me what your favorite 30StM song is...or Halestorm...or Evanescence...hell, pick two of them or do all three.**

**Even though the story itself is completed, my rec is **_**The Red Line**_** by **_**WinndSinger**_**. It was the very first entire fic that I ever read on here. It's just amazing. Actually, it is so good that I have it printed out and it is sitting in its very own binder at my house so that I can read it over and over again without having to log on. The link is in my favorite story list - I know that my list is alarmingly huge, but trust me, it's worth the searching for it...here is the link for it, put '.' where there is '(dot)'. http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/4819806/1/**

***Reviews are like love - they make me warm, fuzzy and fulfilled. They also make me squee at work at inappropriate times...don't you wanna be the cause of that?* **

***wink and puppy dog eyes***

**Much love and appreciation,**

**Until next time,**

**~RedneckAngel~**


	10. Hunch Punch

**A/N:** **So, I will keep this A/N short for now and will write more at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Twilight – but I do own **_**Embracing Darkness**_**! Ha! Finally got one! :P Fuckers! XD Also, the song that Masen sings to Raven is indeed my own creation….if it sucks – sorry in advance.**

**STILL BPOV**

I stood out in the crowd with the girls watching our men. We swayed to the music when it was called for and squeed when it was appropriate…sometimes even when it wasn't appropriate.

I tried to be calm as Masen belted out song after song; it felt like he was singing directly to me. His eyes rarely left mine.

After only about a half an hour on stage, his eyeliner was beginning to smudge – it looked like he had been doing some heavy sweating…oh – how I wish…

They had done several songs, all of which I had heard before.

Truthfully, I had been okay until he sang my song for me – _The Fantasy_ by _30StM_. I don't think I have ever been more excited for a 'concert' to be over before now. I've been fantasizing about licking all of the sweat from his body ever since.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Trag and Angel cheering, "Thank ya'll! We'll be right back after this short break so that the DJ can earn his money tonight!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and my boys exited the stage, heading straight for the bar.

The girls and I made our way to the bar as well, pushing through the crowd to get to our men.

I looked for Masen when we got there, but all I saw was Angel and Trag. Trag looked at me with a smile on his face, "Hey Raven! So, how'd you like the first half of our show? Fuckin' kickass, right?"

I smiled back nervously, "Yeah, Trag. Ya'll looked good," I blushed, "and sounded great up there. There are so many people here..." I trailed off, looking at the people everywhere - there had to have been at least 400 people packed in this little club.

His eyes shined micheviously, "It's no more than normal. On a _really_ good night, they're turnin' folks away 'afore we even get out on stage. This ain't so bad. You're gonna do awesome anyhow, so don't be worryin' about it. We got a favor to ask ya though..." he trailed off, looking at me all innocent and shit.

I gulped noisily, noticing that my hands were shaking, "What? What do ya'll want from me now?"

Before he could tell me, someone grabbed me from behind, pulling me into his chest.

I stiffened and whirrled to face the stranger, only to be face to face with Masen's throat.

"Hey darlin'. I couldn't help but see you from over there," he gestured somewhere behind him, "lookin' all sexy. You come here often?"

I smirked at his playfulness, "Naw, actually, this is my first time. I might want to forewarn ya though, my fiancee is here and he's a bit of an overprotective fool. He's actually so overprotective that he might cut ya if he sees you over here with your hands all over me like you're on somethin'. He carries a full arsenal of emo blades."

He threw his head back and laughed the deep, gravely laugh that made me melt, "Well, then maybe me and him can compare blades...been lookin' for a new set." He winked at me, "So, do ya think that your man would mind if I bought his beautiful fiancee a drink or three? You look awfully parched."

I smiled at him, "I think I could go for a little somethin' right now. What do they got?"

Alice bounced over to me, handing me some red drink that had fruit floating in it, "Drink this. It's EMO's specialty - they call it _Hunch Punch_. It's made of fruit, juices and Everclear. Bad thang is you can only have a few of them before ya start gettin' too drunk - I think the alcohol content is like 200 proof or some shit," she said laughing, "I've only had about 4 of them myself."

"Great..." I trailed off and downed this, the sweet nectar of the gods...damn this was good...tasted just like some really sweet fruit punch, "So, what was it that ya'll was gonna ask me?"

Masen brought his mouth to my ear and murmured, "We were hopin' that maybe you'd be willin' to sing the second half of the show with us...been kinda plannin' it...there's only about 3 songs we wanna do anyways before we call it a night."

With him being so close to my ear, I would have gladly agreed to anything that they had asked.

I nodded my agreement, quickly downed one more Hunch Punch, and followed the guys to the stage.

I smoothed my corset of any imaginary wrinkles and walked up the stairs.

The crowd immediately noticed the guys taking the stage. The entire bar erupted into loud whistles and cheering.

Masen took no time in quieting the crowd, "Hey, ya'll! Shut the hell up! We got an announcement to make!"

The crowd instantly ceased all noise; it was evident that _Embracing Darkness_ had a very fervent following.

"We have some exciting news for ya'll!" the crowd errupted into loud cheers, "We have decided to let a new person _Embrace_ her own _Darkness_," he exclaimed excitedly, "and she will be performin' a few songs with us - it will be her own way of showin' ya'll that she is exactly dark enough to be with us. Now, let her spellbind ya'll like she did us! Everyone - meet _Raven_!"

My stomach dove to my feet at the prospect of singing in front of everyone out there and my heart leapt to my throat as he announced my name, almost fervently.

"Her first song is one that all of ya'll should know - bein' mad _Halestorm_ fans!" he said excitedly.

I stepped up to the mic and grabbed it confidently, "Hello, Birmingham," I said, trying out my own kind of crowd manipulation, "as ya'll know, my name is Raven, and I hope to make ya'll feel at least one tenth of what _Embracing Darkness_ makes me feel!"

I waited for a few seconds before the patrons of EMO erupted into another fit of screams.

I smiled coyly; this was gonna be far too much fun for me.

"This is a song that everyone should know," I cooed into the mic.

I turned to the guys, "Do you guys know_ I Get Off?_"

All three nodded and picked up their guitars and sticks.

The familiar riffs began and I found myself falling hard for not only this band, but for their fans.

Once the introduction to the song was over, I walked up to Trag, setting my foot on the drum set, running one of my hands up my calf - stopping at my thigh and began:

_You don't know that I know,_

_You watch me every night,_

_And I just can't resist the urge,_

_To stand here in the light,_

_Your greedy eyes upon me,_

_And then I come undone,_

_I could close the curtain,_

_But this is too much fun..._

_I get off on you,_

_Gettin' off on me,_

_Give you what you want,_

_But nothin' is for free,_

_It's a give and take,_

_Kind of love we make,_

_When the line is crossed,_

_I get off, I get off._

_There's so much left unspoken,_

_Between the two of us,_

_It's so much more excitin',_

_To look when you can't touch,_

_You could say I'm different, _

_And maybe I'm a freak,_

_But I know how to twist ya,_

_To bring you to your knees, _

_I get off on you,_

_Gettin' off on me,_

_Give you what you want,_

_But nothin' is for free,_

_It's a give and take,_

_Kind of love we make,_

_When the line is crossed,_

_I get off, I get off..._

_What you don't know,_

_What you can't see,_

_Is what I do for you,_

_I do for me..._

_I get off on you,_

_Gettin' off on me,_

_Give you what you want,_

_Yeahhhh,_

_I get off on you,_

_Gettin' off on me, _

_Give you what you want,_

_But nothin' is for free,_

_It's a give and take,_

_Kinda love we make,_

_When the line is crossed,_

_I get off, I get off,_

_Ooooooh,_

_I get off._

I finished the song by a flourish, tossing my hair and violently brought the mic down by my side.

I waited for only a few seconds before the crowd cheered louder than they had before.

Masen turned to look at me and I couldn't help but love the feeling of his eyes on me. It hadn't escaped my attention that he had kept his eyes on me throughout _I Get Off_. It helped to enhance my theatrical side during the song; I couldn't help but run the hand that wasn't holding the mic up and down my body – up and in between my thighs, across my stomach, over my breasts and then even more gently up the side of my neck…it was pretty much anywhere I wanted him to touch or kiss.

I knew that he saw me because his eyes were a lovely shade of black. His eyes had roamed my body freely. I was convinced during that one song that performing live was the most effective form of foreplay ever.

Masen looked at the crowd, "Now for her last song of the night, Raven has some _Dirty Work_ that she'd like ya'll to do for her! Is anyone willin'?"

I blushed furiously at his comment and almost died laughing at the response he got from the crowd. Everyone was screaming loudly. Women as well as men were offering me their 'assistance'.

That was a laugh; as if I'd take any of them over my green eyed emo boy.

I smiled wickedly at him and he winked back mouthing the words, "Just like we did at practice." at me. I immediately knew what he was doing and the idea of him touching me during my song was enough to make me weak-kneed.

The opening music played and I sang the beginning as I had done earlier today – Masen just knelt in front of me when I commanded him to, making me caress the top of his head at the mention of his crown.

After the first chorus, I began the second verse.

_Let me be your labor of love,_

_My royal garden needs a hired man,_

_Plant your seed, darlin' my roses are in your hands,_

_I need someone young, willin' and able,_

_You need someone old enough to know better,_

_I want you to -_

_Do my dirty work, do my dirty work,_

_Whoooaaaaah,_

_Do my dirty work, do my dirty work,_

_Yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah,_

_Come on!_

_La-la-la-la-la-la-la,_

_La-la-la-la-la-la-la,_

_Do my dirty work, do my dirty work,_

_Whoooaaaaah,_

_Do my dirty work, do my dirty work,_

_Yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah,_

_Come oooooonnnnn!_

_Yeah!_

_Yeah!_

_Yeah!_

_Yeah!_

_Come on!_

_Yeeeee-ahhhea…._

And just like that, my debut was over.

I couldn't say that I was sad that it was done. I felt like I could breathe again.

I bowed to the crowd, smiled and waved as the cheers crashed over me in waves.

I turned and gestured to my newfound bandmates, "Ya'll give it up for these fantastic guys!" the cheering got impossibly louder, "They have played their asses off for ya'll tonight, show them some love! Thank you for your acceptance of me – I love all ya'll!"

With that, I turned and headed toward the edge of the stage, but was yanked back by my man.

"Isn't she sweet ya'll?" he asked, addressing the audience who were still screaming their heads off, "Before we leave ya'll tonight, I want to sing ya'll a song that comes straight from my heart. Yes! Ya'll heard right! We are gonna perform an original for ya'll tonight!"

The fans went crazy, cheering and clapping like their lives depended on this one song.

To say that I was confused was an understatement. I thought we were singing the end of the show…hmmm, I smell sabotagery!

"I've been workin' on this song for awhile now. I wrote it for a girl who stole my heart – and has yet to give it back. Just last night, she made me the happiest fucker in the South, she agreed to marry me!" he smiled at me and my heart imploded – not only did he learn a song for me; he officially _wrote_ one for me too.

The crowd awwwed and screamed at his revelation; I stood still as a statue. There was no way that I would ever be able to live up to his expectations…worse still, I would never be able to deserve him. He was far too good to me.

He pulled me close to him and wrapped an arm around my waist for a second, only to drop his arm so that his hand brushed my own.

He closed his eyes and began to play my song, Trag and Angel accompanying him.

Fuckers! I would get them back for not telling me! Just wait.

I was distracted from my thoughts of revenge by Masen's silky smooth voice singing to me.

_I sat here today thinkin' of you_

_My ridiculous head trusts_

_That I am worthy of you_

_My foolish heart refuses to believe_

_That you could be mine_

_It beats a rhythm_

_That compliments yours_

_I'm only complete when you're near me_

_I only breathe when you breathe beside me_

_I only live when I'm inside you_

_I only love you…every second_

_I sat here and cried today_

_My stupid eyes gave me away_

_They told you stories of_

_The devotion I have for you_

_You only smiled_

_And kissed my cheek_

_You told me you loved me too_

_I'm only complete when you're near me_

_I only breathe when you breathe beside me_

_I only live when I'm inside you_

_I only love you…every second_

_My lips, they long to caress_

_Your skin_

_My heart, it longs to play_

_Your song_

_My hands, they long to build_

_Your dreams_

_My heart, it longs to meet_

_Your soul_

_You are the light in my world_

_I am forever grateful_

_I could never tell you_

_Just how much_

_You affect my very being_

_I will never want it_

_Any other way…_

At the end, he drifted off to almost a whisper. It was right then that I felt that my face was wet. Apparently, I had been crying through the whole song.

That had to have just been the sweetest shit I have ever heard.

I looked up and met his eyes that were now wet from his own tears. That was my breaking point – I flung myself at him and kissed his tear-streaked cheeks.

The people down below us went into a frenzy, screaming and clapping and cheering, but they would never feel the amazing rush of emotion in my chest as I stood there in front of however many strangers and kissed my man until all rational thought left my head.

In the end, it was only Angel that stopped us from possibly going to jail for indecent exposure. He stepped up to us and pounded his fist with Masen.

I felt Trag's muscled chest against my back as he hugged both Masen and I at the same time.

I laughed as Trag picked me up and swung me around the stage, chuckling the whole way.

When he finally set me back down, I was face to face with Masen. He had the most beautiful light shining from his eyes and he smiled through the words only spoken to me.

_I love you so fuckin' much it hurts._

My answering smile must have been pretty big because as I told him I love him too, he darted toward me and dragged me from the stage.

We didn't get too far from the lights of the stage when Masen grabbed me into an almost bone crushing hug. I loved the feeling of being pressed to his chest and allowed myself to be molded to his body.

He clung to me for an immeasurable amount of time – I didn't even realize that Victoria had snuck up to us.

"What the hell, Masen?" she hissed loudly, "The fuck you call yourself doin' out there? You know until the contract is up, I own the three of ya'll dark bastards. It's not wise for you to go addin' extra band members without consultin' me first. That and you just _announced_ to your female fans that you're now engaged! Do you have a death wish? Your band is gonna lose fans like ass now! Sales are gonna plummet and I'm gonna be the one stuck footin' the bill when no one comes to any of ya'll's shows! Did you think of any of the ramifications of your sudden need to tell the fuckin' world about her?"

I felt like I had just been slapped. Her words stung me worse than anything Jacob had even done to me. It wasn't what she was saying about me…she was cussing my man like she owned him.

I got news for Bozo here – Masen was _mine_ and I'd fuck her up for talking to him like that.

Before he could say anything to her, I exploded.

"What the fuck, Victoria? Is that how you treat all the bands that fill your little hick bar? 'Cuz if it is, I feel very sorry for them all."

Masen leaned down to my ear and whispered, "No darlin', she is still pissed because we fucked around before _Darkness_ got signed here. When we were talkin' about signin' I told her that we couldn't do that shit anymore because I refused to be involved with my boss…sexual harassment and all. That was just around the time I met you. Truthfully, I think she's pissed because she's just met the woman that kept me from gettin' hard with her. For me to be able to…perform…I had to think of you."

I smirked coldly at her, "Aw. Is that it? You're mad that my man only found you attractive until you took your clothes off? Well, Vickie, just remember…all those times that you were writhin' under him, it was _my_ face…_my_ body he was seein'. All those times he got his and he shouted your name…he was wishin' that it was mine that he was screamin'. Lastly, just remember, when you go home tonight to your empty ass house, I'm gonna be goin' home with my man and I'm gonna fuck you right out of his mind…I'm the only one that will ever claim him again, you fuckin' whore."

She stood there with her mouth hanging open for only a moment before shrieking, "You stupid fuckin' bitch!" and grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking me to the ground.

I quickly adjusted my weight and rolled us over, landing a perfect punch to her jaw.

Before I could do any further damage, I felt a set of arms grab me around the waist and pull me up against a very solid chest. I instantly knew that it was Masen who held me immobile. I stilled instantly in his arms, not wanting to hurt him in the process of going back after the bitch.

She jumped to her feet and came at me, only stopping inches from my face before an expression of pure shock froze on her face. Trag had come to see what all the commotion was about and had snatched her out of thin air to keep her from hitting me.

Her jaw was beginning to swell and blood was trickling down from the corner of her mouth. I was silently praying that I broke one of her teeth.

"Be proud of your stupid cunt," she seethed in between ragged breaths, "she just lost your band the contract. I'm terminating it now."

"Ah-ah, Vic," Masen said, wagging his finger in her face, "you can't do that without us bein' able to sue the shit out of you. Ask my lawyer…he's the one that wrote up that fuckin' contract, dumbass. If you terminate early, you will have to pay us an immediate hefty settlement, plus a monthly percentage of the profits from this club until the day it shuts its doors permanently. You'd make more money just to man up and ride out the rest of the contract. So, what's it gonna be, Vic?"

Her rage got more tangible while he was telling her of the loophole in the contract, but when he got to the part about the settlement and the monthly check she would have to cut them, her face turned a nasty shade of purple and she choked on anything that she could possibly say to him.

"We'll let you stew on that for a little bit, Red." Masen chuckled deeply, "As for right now, I'm gonna take my woman to the limo that you have so graciously provided us with and tease her until she begs me to fuck her when we get home. Let's go to _our_ home baby."

I followed him quietly to the limo and climbed in ahead of him.

I waited patiently for the rest of our friends to join us in the Hummer.

Eventually, everyone was packed in the back of it and I let out a howl of excitement. Business savvy Edward was hot as hell and I couldn't wait until I got him home to show him how sexy I thought he was.

Our friends looked at me after my outburst and laughed loudly.

Just like that, we were just ourselves again – a bunch of friends enjoying each others' company.

For the entirety of the ride home, Edward kissed me, caressed me and whispered naughty things in my ear, driving me insane.

By the time the Hummer pulled up at the house, I was all but jumping out of my skin with the idea of having him to myself.

The driver opened the side door and I jumped from the limo, grabbing Edward's hand and dragging him through the front door and up the stairs.

We had not gotten to the bed too well before I had him flung on the bed and his pants undone and pushed down to his knees.

I rushed through my undressing process and jumped him.

This joining was primal; it was about me reclaiming what is mine.

As I rode Edward, I bit, scratched and licked him whenever I felt the need to.

"I'm close, babe," he groaned at me, "I need you to cum first, but you're makin' it really difficult."

He reached in between us and started rubbing my clit and I howled at the sensations. I knew what would do it for me, "Baby," I panted, "growl at me. Growl. Dammit, growl at me."

He smirked the smirk I loved so much and let out a feral growl so loud that the rumbling in his chest traveled down to where we were joined.

I came hard, harder than I ever had before. I was actually lightheaded.

He quit moving inside me and pulled me to his chest, "Now, baby – there ain't nothin' hotter than you takin' on another woman for me. When you spoke to Vic the way you did back there, damn, it was all I could do not to fuck you in front of her. Just wow."

He hugged me tighter to him, still inside me.

I hadn't felt him get his, "Baby," I almost scolded, "did you get yours?" I lifted my eyebrow at him.

He looked at me surprised, "Yeah, darlin'. You were so wrapped up in yours that I guess you missed it. I've never felt you clench me so tight. Even if you hadn't of gotten yours right then, I would have been done for. That was just amazin'."

His smile was so peaceful that I laid my head down onto his chest and breathed in the smell of post-show Edward. It was the most calming thing ever.

Edward rubbed my back soothingly and whispered over and over how much I meant to him and how much he loved me.

After my extraordinarily long day, that was exactly what I needed to make everything around me fade and before I knew it, I was sucked into a deep and peaceful sleep.

**A/N: So, I know that this chapter is a LOT shorter than what you're used to, but it seemed an appropriate place to stop. I will be updating again soon. I'm already started on the next chapter, so have faith. :D**

**Right now, I'm on "vacation". I took the last 3 days off from work because the stress from the place is making me want to burn the damn place down. I was going to take those days to reconnect with my writing and get a little bit ahead, but of course, real life came in and kicked my ass…again. I am seriously hoping that ya'll don't hate me for the long time in between updates.**

**Recommendations *Remove the ()'s* : Time Will Tell http:/www(.)fanfiction(.)net/s/5738386/1/ – it's an Emmett/Bella fic, but it's awesome…can't wait for the end of it….ahhhhmazing. The other one is Changing Lives – it's a Jasper/Bella fic and it made me cry. It was actually so good that I had to pm the author and tell her how extraordinarily awesome she is for writing it. Lastly, I'm loving Near To You - it is slow to get started, not immediate lemons, but it is well written and it's a Carlisle/Bella fic.**

**Thanks to my peoples Jbrosr4ever, RamonaRose24 and my newest reviewer sujari6. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Ya'll all make me retardedly happy when I see that there is something from ya'll in my mail. Also, thanks to all of ya'll who are still reading my little baby. I do love reviews, but I don't show enough appreciation to those who simply read this. Ya'll rock my world….in true _Embracing Darkness_ fashion. XD**

**Reviews make Masen darker….and who wants a light Masen? ;)**


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